Masoud et al. (2025) Groundwater Recharge Estimation Based on Environmental Isotopes, Chloride Mass Balance and SWAT Model in Arid Lands, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

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Identification

• Journal: Hydrology
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-16
• Authors: Milad Masoud, Maged El Osta, Jalal M. Basahi, Burhan Niyazi, Nassir Al-Amri, Michael Schneider, Abdulaziz Alqarawy, Riyadh F. Halawani
• DOI: 10.3390/hydrology12110306

Research Groups

Not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study aimed to determine the origin and quantify the recharge rate of a coastal aquifer in Saudi Arabia using environmental isotopes, the chloride mass balance (CMB) method, and a SWAT model. The findings indicate that groundwater recharge originates from precipitation, with recharge rates estimated at 3.57% of rainfall by CMB and an average of 8.75 mm/year by the SWAT model.

Objective

• To detect the origin of coastal aquifer groundwater and to compute the recharging rate in the study area.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Coastal aquifer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with reference to the Wadi Qanunah basin. This represents a regional or basin-scale investigation.
• Temporal Scale: Annual groundwater recharge rates and long-term average values.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model, Chloride Mass Balance (CMB) method, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
• Data sources:
  • Chemical analysis of 78 groundwater samples.
  • Environmentally stable isotopes (deuterium (²H) and oxygen-18O) from 29 representative groundwater samples.
  • Precipitation data (implied for CMB and SWAT model inputs).

Main Results

• The origin of groundwater recharge was identified as precipitation.
• Isotopic analysis of groundwater samples showed δ¹⁸O values ranging from −1.10‰ to +1.03‰ and δ²H values ranging from −0.63‰ to 11.63‰.
• The Chloride Mass Balance (CMB) method estimated the average groundwater recharge at 3.57% of rainfall.
• The SWAT model estimated annual recharge rates ranging from 1 mm to 16.5 mm per year, with an average value of approximately 8.75 mm per year.
• Discrepancies between CMB and SWAT results were attributed to factors such as additional chloride sources and evaporation.

Contributions

• Provides crucial data and insights into groundwater origin and recharge rates in arid coastal aquifers, specifically in Saudi Arabia.
• Integrates multiple hydrological and hydrochemical techniques (environmental isotopes, CMB, SWAT, GIS) for a comprehensive assessment of groundwater resources.
• Offers valuable information for local communities, officials, and decision-makers for sustainable groundwater management in water-scarce regions.

Funding

Not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Masoud2025Groundwater,
  author = {Masoud, Milad and Osta, Maged El and Basahi, Jalal M. and Niyazi, Burhan and Al-Amri, Nassir and Schneider, Michael and Alqarawy, Abdulaziz and Halawani, Riyadh F.},
  title = {Groundwater Recharge Estimation Based on Environmental Isotopes, Chloride Mass Balance and SWAT Model in Arid Lands, Southwestern Saudi Arabia},
  journal = {Hydrology},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3390/hydrology12110306},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12110306}
}