Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia

Autores
Gallardo, Adrian Hugo
Año de publicación
2019
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
This work presents findings from an exploration programme aimed at identifying new sources of groundwater for irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. The investigation combined drilling, geophysics, hydraulic tests, and water-quality data to improve the understanding of the aquifers’ system. Geologically, the area was interpreted as part of an asymmetric syncline trending northwest towards the coast. Fractures and lineaments are largely concealed but they might disrupt the continuity of the aquifers at certain locations. Groundwater lies primarily in Mesozoic sediments of the Wallal Sandstone, and in the lower section of the Erskine Sandstone underneath. Pollen analysis casts doubt on the age of the Wallal Sandstone, which could actually correspond to a sequence not previously recognised in the area. Concentrations of major ions indicate that for the most part, waters are fresh and suitable for irrigation. The most productive zone for water abstraction locates in western outcrops of the Wallal Sandstone, where bore yields exceed 60 L/s. The northern flank of the syncline is also favourable for pumping the Erskine Sandstone although, fine-grained sediments make the aquifer less productive. The main source of groundwater recharge is rainwater. Chloride concentrations suggest that groundwater replenishment would range between 1% and 3% of the average annual rainfall. The safe yield has been estimated at 4.5 GL/year and 8.7 GL/year for the Wallal and Erskine aquifers respectively. Though several uncertainties remain to be addressed, the study contributes to future planning and a sustainable use of the groundwater resource.
Fil: Gallardo, Adrian Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología; Argentina. Government of Western Australia. Department of Water and Environmental Regulation; Australia
Materia
EXPLORATION
GROUNDWATER
HYDROGEOLOGY
IRRIGATION
WEST KIMBERLEY
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/141076
Acceder
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network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western AustraliaGallardo, Adrian HugoEXPLORATIONGROUNDWATERHYDROGEOLOGYIRRIGATIONWEST KIMBERLEYhttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1This work presents findings from an exploration programme aimed at identifying new sources of groundwater for irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. The investigation combined drilling, geophysics, hydraulic tests, and water-quality data to improve the understanding of the aquifers’ system. Geologically, the area was interpreted as part of an asymmetric syncline trending northwest towards the coast. Fractures and lineaments are largely concealed but they might disrupt the continuity of the aquifers at certain locations. Groundwater lies primarily in Mesozoic sediments of the Wallal Sandstone, and in the lower section of the Erskine Sandstone underneath. Pollen analysis casts doubt on the age of the Wallal Sandstone, which could actually correspond to a sequence not previously recognised in the area. Concentrations of major ions indicate that for the most part, waters are fresh and suitable for irrigation. The most productive zone for water abstraction locates in western outcrops of the Wallal Sandstone, where bore yields exceed 60 L/s. The northern flank of the syncline is also favourable for pumping the Erskine Sandstone although, fine-grained sediments make the aquifer less productive. The main source of groundwater recharge is rainwater. Chloride concentrations suggest that groundwater replenishment would range between 1% and 3% of the average annual rainfall. The safe yield has been estimated at 4.5 GL/year and 8.7 GL/year for the Wallal and Erskine aquifers respectively. Though several uncertainties remain to be addressed, the study contributes to future planning and a sustainable use of the groundwater resource.Fil: Gallardo, Adrian Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología; Argentina. Government of Western Australia. Department of Water and Environmental Regulation; AustraliaElsevier2019-04info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/141076Gallardo, Adrian Hugo; Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia; Elsevier; Groundwater for Sustainable Development; 8; 4-2019; 187-1972352-801XCONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352801X18301978info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.gsd.2018.11.004info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-09-29T09:53:00Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/141076instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-09-29 09:53:00.944CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia
title Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia
spellingShingle Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia
Gallardo, Adrian Hugo
EXPLORATION
GROUNDWATER
HYDROGEOLOGY
IRRIGATION
WEST KIMBERLEY
title_short Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia
title_full Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia
title_fullStr Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia
title_full_unstemmed Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia
title_sort Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Gallardo, Adrian Hugo
author Gallardo, Adrian Hugo
author_facet Gallardo, Adrian Hugo
author_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv EXPLORATION
GROUNDWATER
HYDROGEOLOGY
IRRIGATION
WEST KIMBERLEY
topic EXPLORATION
GROUNDWATER
HYDROGEOLOGY
IRRIGATION
WEST KIMBERLEY
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv This work presents findings from an exploration programme aimed at identifying new sources of groundwater for irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. The investigation combined drilling, geophysics, hydraulic tests, and water-quality data to improve the understanding of the aquifers’ system. Geologically, the area was interpreted as part of an asymmetric syncline trending northwest towards the coast. Fractures and lineaments are largely concealed but they might disrupt the continuity of the aquifers at certain locations. Groundwater lies primarily in Mesozoic sediments of the Wallal Sandstone, and in the lower section of the Erskine Sandstone underneath. Pollen analysis casts doubt on the age of the Wallal Sandstone, which could actually correspond to a sequence not previously recognised in the area. Concentrations of major ions indicate that for the most part, waters are fresh and suitable for irrigation. The most productive zone for water abstraction locates in western outcrops of the Wallal Sandstone, where bore yields exceed 60 L/s. The northern flank of the syncline is also favourable for pumping the Erskine Sandstone although, fine-grained sediments make the aquifer less productive. The main source of groundwater recharge is rainwater. Chloride concentrations suggest that groundwater replenishment would range between 1% and 3% of the average annual rainfall. The safe yield has been estimated at 4.5 GL/year and 8.7 GL/year for the Wallal and Erskine aquifers respectively. Though several uncertainties remain to be addressed, the study contributes to future planning and a sustainable use of the groundwater resource.
Fil: Gallardo, Adrian Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología; Argentina. Government of Western Australia. Department of Water and Environmental Regulation; Australia
description This work presents findings from an exploration programme aimed at identifying new sources of groundwater for irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. The investigation combined drilling, geophysics, hydraulic tests, and water-quality data to improve the understanding of the aquifers’ system. Geologically, the area was interpreted as part of an asymmetric syncline trending northwest towards the coast. Fractures and lineaments are largely concealed but they might disrupt the continuity of the aquifers at certain locations. Groundwater lies primarily in Mesozoic sediments of the Wallal Sandstone, and in the lower section of the Erskine Sandstone underneath. Pollen analysis casts doubt on the age of the Wallal Sandstone, which could actually correspond to a sequence not previously recognised in the area. Concentrations of major ions indicate that for the most part, waters are fresh and suitable for irrigation. The most productive zone for water abstraction locates in western outcrops of the Wallal Sandstone, where bore yields exceed 60 L/s. The northern flank of the syncline is also favourable for pumping the Erskine Sandstone although, fine-grained sediments make the aquifer less productive. The main source of groundwater recharge is rainwater. Chloride concentrations suggest that groundwater replenishment would range between 1% and 3% of the average annual rainfall. The safe yield has been estimated at 4.5 GL/year and 8.7 GL/year for the Wallal and Erskine aquifers respectively. Though several uncertainties remain to be addressed, the study contributes to future planning and a sustainable use of the groundwater resource.
publishDate 2019
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019-04
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/141076
Gallardo, Adrian Hugo; Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia; Elsevier; Groundwater for Sustainable Development; 8; 4-2019; 187-197
2352-801X
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/141076
identifier_str_mv Gallardo, Adrian Hugo; Hydrogeological characterisation and groundwater exploration for the development of irrigated agriculture in the West Kimberley region, Western Australia; Elsevier; Groundwater for Sustainable Development; 8; 4-2019; 187-197
2352-801X
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352801X18301978
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.gsd.2018.11.004
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
_version_ 1844613623542972416
score 13.070432

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