On 30 October I gave a short presentation on Enhancing Groundwater Resilience by Harvesting Glacial Meltwater with Managed Aquifer Recharge. Dr. Maria T. Gibson was the co-author and did most of the work.
This talk was virtually identical to one I gave in China in September 2019.
Word: Download IWRA_Abstract_Campana
PDF: Download IWRA_Abstract_Campana
Here are the presentations - one short (given at the conference) and one long:
PPT (long): Download Campana_IWRA_Long
PDF (long): Download Campana_IWRA_Long
PPT (short): Download Campana_IWRA_Short
PDF (short): Download Campana_IWRA_Short
Abstract
In response to global warming, some mountain glaciers are melting at accelerated rates. This is not unique to exotic locales such as the Andes and Himalayas; some permanent glaciers in North America are shrinking and are en route to extinction. In the USA the best example of this phenomenon is Glacier National Park in Montana, which could be glacier-free by the middle of this century. In western Oregon and Washington some of the highest elevations in the Cascade Range are losing permanent glaciers. In addition, early snowmelt in the Cascades and elsewhere has the potential for harvesting.
Glaciers and snowpack provide humanity and natural ecosystems with 'free storage' of freshwater and parcel out water to maintain and replenish freshwater supplies. During the warm season, glacial meltwater nourishes lower elevation ecosystems and human settlements and recharges aquifers. Replenishment of the glacier normally occurs during the cooler seasons; the cycle then repeats itself. Ideally, one would like a balance: the glacial ice melting in the summer would be replaced by cold weather precipitation. When the melting exceeds the replenishment, the equilibrium is destroyed. The volume of the glacier shrinks, and if the disequilibrium continues, the glacier will disappear entirely.
Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) could capture 'excess' meltwater – the amount coming out of storage that is available – before the glacier disappears altogether. Early snowmelt could also be captured. Such groundwater storage would not be a permanent, sustainable solution to freshwater shortages, but might provide time to permit the development of alternatives to ensure survival of ecosystems and humans.
The presentation will: 1) explore some of the advantages and disadvantages of subsurface storage to salvage glacial meltwater and early snowmelt; 2) speculate where such schemes might work and would be needed; and 3) discuss a recent MAR project in the Yakima River basin in Washington State, USA.
Your comments are welcomed!
Enjoy!
Thanks, Michael - useful!
Posted by: Michael | Friday, 30 October 2020 at 12:19 PM