Evaporative losses from the Darling River, NSW, during drought from 2002-2005

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dc.contributor.authorHughes, CEen_AU
dc.contributor.authorMeredith, KTen_AU
dc.contributor.authorCendón, DIen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHollins, SEen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-07T01:19:30Zen_AU
dc.date.available2022-11-07T01:19:30Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2009-12-03en_AU
dc.date.statistics2022-01-27en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe Darling-Barwon River system faces extreme pressure from drought and over extraction of water from its catchment. Isotopic tracers can be used to assess water gains and losses and to distinguish evaporative losses from groundwater recharge or pumping. Stable water isotope (δ2H and δ18O) and major ion data was collected monthly at nine stations from Mungindi, near the Queensland border, to Burtundy, above the confluence with the Murray River, between 2002 and 2005, as part of the Global Network for Isotopes in Rivers (GNIR) monitoring programme [1]. This data has been used to investigate groundwater exchange, evaporative and pumping losses along the Barwon/Darling River [2,3] during an extended dry period with relatively minor flow events. Individual flow events were found to be isotopically distinct but the local evaporation lines (LEL, Fig 1(a)) that develop after these events have a very similar slope indicating similar climatic conditions across this region. During low flow conditions, salt concentrations increase systematically, δ2H and δ18O become enriched and deuterium excess becomes more negative indicating significant evaporation. Flow events input isotopically depleted fresh waters to the system and as a result the deuterium excess returns towards the local meteoric water line. Fig. 1(b) shows this progressive enrichment and rapid depletion following flow events for Wilcannia during this study period. These stable water isotope data can be used to calculate the amount of river or lake water lost to evaporation, and an approximate scale of evaporative losses for the Barwon/Darling River system from 2002 to 2005 is shown in Fig. 1(a). During extended dry periods evaporative enrichment of δ2H and δ18O indicates increasing evaporative losses as water moves downstream with up to 80% evaporative losses for water in the lower reaches of the Darling River and in the Menindee lakes system. In other reaches of the river there is evidence that the hydrological response of the river to drought has increased saline groundwater discharge into the river system resulting in detrimental affects on water quality [2]. Discrepancies between isotope based mass balances, which can improve the quantification of evaporation losses and groundwater inputs, and standard flow gauging based models can be used to detect ungauged losses and gains [3]. These may include irrigation or domestic water use, bank storage or groundwater recharge. These are examples of how isotope tracers can help to quantify the hidden hydrological fluxes that impact on flow particularly during drought.en_AU
dc.identifier.booktitle10th Australasian Environmental Isotope Conference and 3rd Australasian Hydrogeology Research Conference abstract volume : Resources and Chemistry Precinct, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 1st-3rd December 2009en_AU
dc.identifier.citationHughes. C. E., Meredith. K. T., Cendón. D. I., & Hollins, S. E. (2009). Evaporative losses from the Darling River, NSW, during drought from 2002-2005. Paper presented to The 10th Australasian Environmental Isotope Conference and 3rd Australasian Hydrogeology Research Conference, Resources and Chemistry Precinct, Curtin University Perth, Western Australia 1st – 3rd December 2009. (pp. 22).en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate3 December 2009en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencename10th Australasian Environmental Isotope Conference and 3rd Australasian Hydrogeology Research Conferenceen_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplacePerth, Western Australiaen_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate1 December 2009en_AU
dc.identifier.editorsGrice, K. & Trinajstic, K.en_AU
dc.identifier.isbn978-0-9807436-0-9en_AU
dc.identifier.pagination22en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/13995en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherAustralasian Environmental Isotope Conferenceen_AU
dc.subjectEvaporationen_AU
dc.subjectRiversen_AU
dc.subjectNew South Walesen_AU
dc.subjectAustraliaen_AU
dc.subjectDroughtsen_AU
dc.subjectStable isotopesen_AU
dc.subjectTracer techniquesen_AU
dc.subjectWateren_AU
dc.subjectGroundwater rechargeen_AU
dc.subjectRiversen_AU
dc.titleEvaporative losses from the Darling River, NSW, during drought from 2002-2005en_AU
dc.typeConference Abstracten_AU
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