ASSESSING THE ROLES OF KARST CONDUIT VERSUS MATRIX FLOW IN THE SANTA FE RIVER BASIN

MEYERHOFF, Steven, Colorado School of Mines, 1516 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80403, MAXWELL, Reed M., Geology and Geologic Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois St, Golden, CO 80401 and GRAHAM, Wendy D., University of Florida, 570 Weil Hall, PO Box 116601, Gainesville, FL 32611, smeyerho@mines.edu

The Santa Fe River Basin is a complex watershed containing hydrologic regions of confined, semi-confined and unconfined aquifers. Each region has its own unique hydrologic characteristics that lead to difficulties in modeling. In this study, we look at the semi-confined region where the Santa Fe River disappears entirely into a sinkhole and reappears in a spring five kilometers south. We use ParFlow to create a fully coupled hydrologic model of the sink and rise interaction. Here, we present a method of describing flow in karst conduits versus matrix flow that represents the Santa Fe River Basin flow. This hydrologic model will allow us to assess the contributions of conduit flow and matrix flow on overall stream flow, determine travel times and paths of stream flow and determine surface and groundwater interactions.

Session No. 177--Booth# 56

T8. Flow in Fractured and Karstic Aquifers: Models and Methods (Posters)

Tuesday, 2 November 2010: 8:00 AM-6:00 PM

Hall D (Colorado Convention Center)

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 42, No. 5, p.434

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