Insights on surface-water/groundwater exchange in the upper Floridan aquifer, north-central Florida (USA), from streamflow data and numerical modeling

Sutton, James E.; Screaton, Elizabeth J.; Martin, Jonathan B.

Insights on surface-water/groundwater exchange in the upper Floridan aquifer, north-central Florida (USA), from streamflow data and numerical modeling | Compréhension des échanges eaux de surface/eaux souterraines dans l’aquifère du Floridien supérieur, centre nord de la Floride (Etats-Unis), à partir de données de débits et d’une modélisation numérique Precisiones sobre el intercambio agua superficial/agua subterránea en el acuífero superior de Florida, centro norte de Florida (EEUU), a partir de datos de caudales de la corriente y modelado numérico 通过河流流量资料和数值模拟认识(美国)佛罗里达州中北部上佛罗里达系含水层中的地表水-地下水交换 Perceção das interações água superficial/subterrânea no aquífero superior da Flórida, centro-norte da Flórida (EUA), a partir de dados de caudal do rio e de modelação numérica

2015

Sutton, James E. | Screaton, Elizabeth J. | Martin, Jonathan B.

Surface-water/groundwater exchange impacts water quality and budgets. In karst aquifers, these exchanges also play an important role in dissolution. Five years of river discharge data were analyzed and a transient groundwater flow model was developed to evaluate large-scale temporal and spatial variations of exchange between an 80-km stretch of the Suwannee River in north-central Florida (USA) and the karstic upper Floridan aquifer. The one-layer transient groundwater flow model was calibrated using groundwater levels from 59 monitoring wells, and fluxes were compared to the exchange calculated from discharge data. Both the numerical modeling and the discharge analysis suggest that the Suwannee River loses water under both low- and high-stage conditions. River losses appear greatest at the inside of a large meander, and the former river water may continue across the meander within the aquifer rather than return to the river. In addition, the numerical model calibration reveals that aquifer transmissivity is elevated within this large meander, which is consistent with enhanced dissolution due to river losses. The results show the importance of temporal and spatial variations in head gradients to exchange between streams and karst aquifers and dissolution of the aquifers.

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