Groundwater and surface water can be considered a single water resource and thus it is important to understand groundwater contributions to streamflow, or baseflow, within a region. In mountainous catchment (no snow fall) where baseflow has a major role, I would like to know expert opinion which hydrological variable plays a key role in that. Suggestions with paper will be appreciated.
In any given region, in the absence of rainfall and surface runoff, if a river is flowing it has to be due to the contribution groundwater flow from both banks towards the stream course. The subsurface flow from both banks depends on:
1. Permeability of the aquifer formation.
2. Saturated thickness of the aquifer.
3. Gradient of groundwater level
4. Water level in the river or below the river bed.
You may also refer to the following paper published in ASCE Jr.
5. Rajagopalan.S.P and Narasimha Prasad.N.B, 1989, Subsurface Water in River Beds as Source for Rural Water Supply Schemes, Journal of Water Resources Planning And Management, American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, Vol.115, No.2.
@ Narasimha Prasad
Thanks for the valuable information. May I know the way to know the thickness of the aquifer by using the discharge series, or else what other influencing parameters we can be obtained from discharge and rainfall time series.
Thickness of the aquifer has to be obtained from sub-surface geological information through bore-holes drilled in the nearby areas. There may be one aquifer or multiple aquifers in a given region. Other than the bore-hole data, one can conduct geophysical investigations. It is better to consult a local geologist.
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