Application of Carbon-14 Ground-Water Ages in Calibrating a Flow Model of the Tucson Basin Aquifer, Arizona

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Author
Campana, Michael E.
Affiliation
Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
Issue Date
1976-05-01
Keywords
Hydrology -- Arizona.
Water resources development -- Arizona.
Hydrology -- Southwestern states.
Water resources development -- Southwestern states.

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Copyright ©, where appropriate, is held by the author.
Collection Information
This article is part of the Hydrology and Water Resources in Arizona and the Southwest collections. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science and the University of Arizona Libraries. For more information about items in this collection, contact anashydrology@gmail.com.
Publisher
Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science
Journal
Hydrology and Water Resources in Arizona and the Southwest
Abstract
In the absence of pure piston flow, the carbon-14 ages of ground-water can be related to groundwater residence times only in the context of a flow model. To do this, a three-dimensional digital computer model of a portion of the Tucson Basin Aquifer was constructed using the theory of finite-state mixing cell models. The model was calibrated against the spatial distribution of adjusted carbon-14 ground-water ages, and once a reasonable fit was obtained, the ground-water residence times were calculated. The model also provides a first approximation to three-dimensional flow in the aquifer as well as an estimate of the long-term average annual recharge to the aquifer.
ISSN
0272-6106
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