ISSN: 2157-7617

Journal of Earth Science & Climatic Change
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  • Research Article   
  • J Earth Sci Clim Change 2013, Vol 4(4): 148
  • DOI: 10.4172/2157-7617.1000148

Application of Isotopes and Recharge Analysis in Investigating Surface Water and Groundwater in Fractured Aquifer under Influence of Climate Variability

Jacob Nyende1,2*, Van Tonder G2 and Danie Vermeulen3
1Department of Civil & Building Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyambogo University, PO Box 1, Kyambogo-Kampala, Uganda
2University of the Free State, Institute for Groundwater Studies, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, , PO Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
3University of the Free State, Institute for Groundwater Studies, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, , PO Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
*Corresponding Author : Jacob Nyende, Department of Civil & Building Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyambogo University, PO Box 1, Kyambogo-Kampala, Uganda, Email: jmnyende@yahoo.com

Received Date: Jun 06, 2013 / Accepted Date: Jul 20, 2013 / Published Date: Jul 25, 2013

Abstract

The impact of Climate variability on water resources (surface and ground) was conducted to assess the effect of meteorological forcing on isotopic and recharge characteristics of the granitic and fractured aquifer, located in Pallisa District (Kyoga basin), eastern Uganda. The paper investigated the application of environmental isotopes and using the EARTH Model in determining the groundwater levels response to rainfall of the fractured aquifer. The granitic fractured aquifer is characterized by shallow to deep water table conditions that vary between 5-50 meters below ground level and quick groundwater level response to rainfall events which justified the application of the EARTH model to demonstrate the groundwater level fluctuations of the single monitoring Well-002. Groundwater fluctuations from the observed hydrograph at the monitoring station vary between 8.8 and 13.48 mamsl with an average hydrostatic fluctuation of 11.42 mamsl. Oxygen-18 (δ18O) and deuterium (δ2H) compositions mostly plot below the Local Meteoric Water Line (LMWL) indicating that the surface water and groundwater in the aquifer was exposed to evaporation before or in the recharging process. In the study, groundwater levels response to rainfall events by the EARTH method is the quantitative estimation of groundwater recharge for Pallisa District watershed. Generally, the study findings suggest that applications of precipitation isotopic rainfall data for light and heavy mean monthly rainfall (mean rainfall of 138 mm) and the EARTH model to assess groundwater recharge can improve the understanding of the process under climate variability.

Keywords: Climate variability; Isotopes; Rainfall recharge; Earth model; Groundwater level fluctuation; Fractured aquifer; Pallisa district; Eastern Uganda

Citation: Nyende J, van Tonder G, Vermeulen D (2013) Application of Isotopes and Recharge Analysis in Investigating Surface Water and Groundwater in Fractured Aquifer under Influence of Climate Variability. J Earth Sci Clim Change 4: 148. Doi: 10.4172/2157-7617.1000148

Copyright: ©2013 Nyende J, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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