Zhao et al. (2025) Coupled SWAT–MODFLOW Model for the Interaction Between Groundwater and Surface Water in an Alpine Inland River Basin

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Water
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-29
• Authors: Zhen Zhao, Xianghui Cao, Guangxiong Qin, Yuejun Zheng, Shuai Song, WenPeng Li
• DOI: 10.3390/w18010085

Research Groups

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study utilized the SWAT–MODFLOW model to explore the bidirectional dynamic coupling of surface water and groundwater in an alpine inland river basin, revealing an upward trend in groundwater levels, shifts in spatial distribution, and complex spatio-temporal and seasonal patterns of surface water-groundwater exchange.

Objective

• To explore the bidirectional dynamic coupling of surface water and groundwater in an alpine inland river basin affected by climate change.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: An alpine inland river basin (specific basin name not provided).
• Temporal Scale: Long-term analysis spanning from 2000 to 2023, with specific observations from 2005 to 2022 and sub-periods (2000–2009, 2010–2023).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: SWAT–MODFLOW model.
• Data sources: Long-term monitoring data (specific types not detailed, but implied to be observational for groundwater levels and exchange rates).

Main Results

• The SWAT–MODFLOW model demonstrated dependability in evaluating groundwater–surface water exchange processes, with R² values of 0.81 (calibration) and 0.79 (validation), NSE values of 0.79 (calibration) and 0.75 (validation), RMSE ranging from 0.59 m to 1.25 m, and PBIAS of 15.21%.
• Groundwater levels exhibited an upward trend, increasing from 2895.35 m in 2005 to 2906.75 m in 2022, consistently remaining above the long-term average since 2018.
• Spatial distribution of groundwater levels shifted from a west-to-east decreasing gradient (2005, 2010, 2015) to an east-to-west decreasing gradient by 2020.
• Surface water-groundwater interactions showed a spatial pattern of upstream surface water recharge, bidirectional fluctuation in the middle reaches, and downstream groundwater-dominated recharge (2000–2023).
• A temporal shift in exchange rates was observed in sub5: surface water recharged groundwater from 2000–2009 (exchange rate: -4987.75 m³/d to -374.82 m³/d), while groundwater discharged into surface water from 2010–2023 (exchange rate: 1136.75 m³/d to 56,646.56 m³/d).
• Seasonal variability exists: surface water primarily replenishes groundwater in spring and summer, whereas groundwater primarily replenishes surface water in autumn and winter.

Contributions

• Provides a foundational method for assessing groundwater–surface water interactions in alpine inland river basins.
• Offers insights into the complex spatio-temporal and seasonal dynamics of groundwater and surface water exchange in such basins, crucial for water resource evaluation and management.

Funding

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Zhao2025Coupled,
  author = {Zhao, Zhen and Cao, Xianghui and Qin, Guangxiong and Zheng, Yuejun and Song, Shuai and Li, WenPeng},
  title = {Coupled SWAT–MODFLOW Model for the Interaction Between Groundwater and Surface Water in an Alpine Inland River Basin},
  journal = {Water},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3390/w18010085},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/w18010085}
}