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Arid Land Geography ›› 2021, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (5): 1272-1280.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000–6060.2021.05.08

• Climatology and Hydrology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Dynamic characteristics of groundwater level and storage variables in Minqin from 1985 to 2016

WEI Shiyu1,2(),GUO Yuntong1,CUI Yali1(),ZHANG Qiulan1,SHAO Jingli1   

  1. 1. China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
    2. Haihe River Water Conservancy Commission, MWR, Tianjin 300170, China
  • Received:2020-10-22 Revised:2021-06-11 Online:2021-09-25 Published:2021-09-22
  • Contact: Yali CUI E-mail:903568760@qq.com;cuiyl@cugb.edu.cn

Abstract:

The Minqin County, Gansu Province is located between two large deserts (the Badain Jaran Desert and Tengger Desert) of northern China. In recent decades, the groundwater level in Minqin has continued to decline, and water resources are severely in short supply. Accordingly, analyzing the process of groundwater development and utilization over the years, as well as the dynamic characteristics of groundwater changes, is particularly important in correctly guiding the rational development and utilization of local groundwater and ecological restoration. Based on the collection and analysis of 138 water level data, this study delineated the groundwater dynamic types of Minqin County and used the Kriging interpolation method to plot year-by-year the groundwater flow field and the water level changes in the Minqin Basin from 1985 to 2016. The grid method was utilized to calculate the multi-year storage variables of groundwater. The influencing factors of the groundwater level in the Minqin Basin were explored; a regression equation was obtained; and the recoverable amount of groundwater was estimated. The results are presented herein. First, the groundwater level in Minqin can be divided into four dynamic types, that is, mining, irrigation infiltration-exploitation, river infiltration-exploitation, and runoff. Second, the overall groundwater level dropped over the years. The irrigation area significantly dropped, with a maximum drop of 22 m. The desert area also slightly dropped. The groundwater suffered a cumulative loss of 24.45×108 m3 over the years. Third, after the comprehensive treatment of the Shiyang River, the water level decline significantly slowed down, and a partial rise was observed. The storage variables were positive in some years. Fourth, the main influencing factors of the groundwater dynamics are extraction volume and surface water diversion volume. The groundwater volume change process is divided into a rapid decline period (1985-2000), a stable decline period (2001-2006), a treatment period (2007-2009), and a steady/increasing period (2010-2016). Lastly, under the current surface water supply, the groundwater recoverable volume in Hongyashan Irrigation District is approximately 0.61×108 m·a-1.

Key words: groundwater level dynamics, groundwater storage variables, influencing factors, Minqin