Subsurface Response to an Extreme Precipitation Event, Front Range, Colorado
| Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Owners: | Claudia R Corona |
| Type: | Resource |
| Storage: | The size of this resource is 9.3 MB |
| Created: | Aug 02, 2023 at 6:27 p.m. |
| Last updated: | Nov 11, 2024 at 2 p.m. (Metadata update) |
| Published date: | Nov 11, 2024 at 2 p.m. |
| DOI: | 10.4211/hs.312ffdbe4cbb453aafd7444ca8453d27 |
| Citation: | See how to cite this resource |
| Sharing Status: | Published |
|---|---|
| Views: | 285 |
| Downloads: | 43 |
| +1 Votes: | Be the first one to this. |
| Comments: | No comments (yet) |
Abstract
North‐central Colorado experienced an extreme precipitation event (EPE) in September 2013, during which the equivalent of 80% of the region's annual average precipitation fell in a few days. Widespread flooding occurred above ground, but the short‐ and long‐term subsurface response remains unclear. The objective of the study is to better understand the dynamic subsurface response, namely how the water table and soil water storage responded to a large amount of infiltration in a short period of time and how the hydrologic properties of the subsurface influence the response. Better understanding of subsurface response to EPEs is expected to increase with the advent of more intense and frequent EPEs in the coming decades. A one‐dimensional subsurface flow model using HYDRUS‐1D, was built to simulate and examine infiltration of an EPE at a site in the Boulder Creek Watershed, Colorado. Model calibration was conducted with local field data to fit site observations over a 6-yr period. A rapid water table depth response in field observations was observed, with the modeled subsurface storing water for 18 months acting as a hydro-buffer during recovery. To examine influence on model results, a sensitivity study of soil hydraulic parameters was conducted. The sensitivity study found that changes in n, an empirical parameter related to pore-size distribution, most significantly affects water table depth. The implications are that one-dimensional models may provide useful estimates of water table fluctuations and subsurface hydro-buffer capacities in response to EPEs, which could be of use to regions preparing for EPE effect on water resources.
Link to journal article: https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/vzj2.20189
Subject Keywords
Coverage
Spatial
Temporal
| Start Date: | 12/01/2011 |
|---|---|
| End Date: | 12/31/2017 |
Content
Related Resources
| This resource is referenced by | Corona, C. R., & Ge, S.(2022). Examining subsurface response to an extreme precipitation event using HYDRUS-1D. Vadose Zone Journal, 21, e20189. https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20189 |
Credits
Funding Agencies
This resource was created using funding from the following sources:
| Agency Name | Award Title | Award Number |
|---|---|---|
| National Science Foundation, Division of Earth Sciences | Dynamic Response of Watershed Subsurface System to Extreme Rainfall Events | 1834290 |
How to Cite
This resource is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution CC BY.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Comments
There are currently no comments
New Comment