Conductivity Investigation of Infiltration Through a Playa Lake Near Lubbock, Texas
Abstract
The playas of the High Plains of the United States are known to contribute to the recharge of the underlying Ogallala aquifer. The investigation of the High Plains playa-aquifer system began in 1895. Since then there has been many conceptual models about recharge beneath playa floors and how they recharge theOgallala aquifer. We are using a compartmentalized playa located in the High Plains of Texas which has the greatest concentration of playas in the US. It is estimated that there is anywhere between 22,000 and 60,000 playas present. Investigation the pathways forinfiltration thorugh playa is necessary to understand therecharge to the Ogallala aquifer.The purpose of this electromagnetic investigation is to study the fluid flow path within a playa structure bymeasurements of conductivity in the subsurface. The measurements have been processed to show a 2-D profile of the Playa. Conductivity measurements were collected with an EM31 and so are confined to the top few meters of the soil. Regions with high conductivity are assumed to contain more water than the areas with low conductivity. Repeated profiles collected before and after rain events to identify regions that accommodate more infiltration than other. The results indicate that there is greater infiltration at the annulus of the playa than in the center.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2017
- Bibcode:
- 2017AGUFMNS13B0020T
- Keywords:
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- 0933 Remote sensing;
- EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS;
- 1835 Hydrogeophysics;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1847 Modeling;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1880 Water management;
- HYDROLOGY