• Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • UA Graduate and Undergraduate Research
    • UA Theses and Dissertations
    • Master's Theses
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • UA Graduate and Undergraduate Research
    • UA Theses and Dissertations
    • Master's Theses
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    All of UA Campus RepositoryCommunitiesTitleAuthorsIssue DateSubmit DateSubjectsPublisherJournalThis CollectionTitleAuthorsIssue DateSubmit DateSubjectsPublisherJournal

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    About

    AboutUA Faculty PublicationsUA DissertationsUA Master's ThesesUA Honors ThesesUA PressUA YearbooksUA CatalogsUA Libraries

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Using Isotopes and Solute Tracers to Infer Groundwater Recharge and Flow in the Cienega Creek Watershed, SE Arizona

    • CSV
    • RefMan
    • EndNote
    • BibTex
    • RefWorks
    Thumbnail
    Name:
    azu_etd_16498_sip1_m.pdf
    Size:
    1.565Mb
    Format:
    PDF
    Download
    Author
    Tucci, Rachel
    Issue Date
    2018
    Keywords
    Cienega Creek
    Groundwater
    Hydrogeology
    Isotopes
    Recharge
    Santa Rita Mountains
    Advisor
    McIntosh, Jennifer C.
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Publisher
    The University of Arizona.
    Rights
    Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
    Abstract
    The Cienega Creek watershed (CCW) of southern Arizona contains springs and wetlands (cienegas) that support several threatened and endangered species and two registered “Outstanding Arizona Waters” reaches. The lack of baseline scientific hydrologic studies in the CCW leaves important land management questions unanswered, such as how increases in urbanization, ranching, agriculture, or possible mining could impact groundwater resources? To help address these questions, this study investigates the hydrologic connection between recharge in the Santa Rita mountain system and groundwater in basin-fill aquifers, and the source water for the wetlands near Cienega Creek. Groundwater samples were collected from springs (feeding cienegas), wells, and piezometers completed in basin-fill sediments and shallow alluvial aquifers along a broad transect from the Santa Rita Mountains eastward across the basin to Cienega Creek. Samples were analyzed for major ion chemistry, stable isotopes (δ18O and δD of water, δ13C (DIC), δ34S(SO4) and δ18O(SO4)) and age tracers (3H, 14C). Results indicate springs are dominantly sourced year-round from basin groundwater, and δ18O values and sulfate to chloride ratios indicate little influence of summer monsoon floodwaters. The low sulfate concentrations and δ34S values of basin groundwater and springs are typical of local rain water values, and/or indicate small contributions of gypsum dissolution and pyrite oxidation, consistent with the lack of appreciable sulfate sources in basin sediments. Stable water isotopes in groundwater samples across the study area indicate recharge occurred from summer and winter precipitation at approximately 1700 ±200m (mountain front) and higher elevations (mountain block). Most of the groundwater samples analyzed for tritium are below modern precipitation values for the region, and 14C values are low (3.3-84.7 pMC), which indicates most recharge occurred prior to the 1950’s, even at the mountain front. The lack of recent recharge in shallow alluvial aquifers beneath the washes and near Cienega Creek suggests that groundwater throughout the basin is a relatively old resource, and future increases in groundwater capture or pumping may impact surface waters, including cienegas.
    Type
    text
    Electronic Thesis
    Degree Name
    M.S.
    Degree Level
    masters
    Degree Program
    Graduate College
    Hydrology
    Degree Grantor
    University of Arizona
    Collections
    Master's Theses

    entitlement

     
    The University of Arizona Libraries | 1510 E. University Blvd. | Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
    Tel 520-621-6442 | repository@u.library.arizona.edu
    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2017  DuraSpace
    Quick Guide | Contact Us | Send Feedback
    Open Repository is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV
     

    Export search results

    The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

    By default, clicking on the export buttons will result in a download of the allowed maximum amount of items.

    To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export. The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

    After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.