Numerical Analysis of the Groundwater Flow System and Heat Transport for Sustainable Water Management in a Regional Semi-Arid Basin in Central Mexico

Abstract

The Independence Basin is located in a semi-arid region of Mexico, delimited predominantly by volcanic mountains. Around 30 m3/s of water are extracted from regional aquifers mainly for agro-export activities, causing declines in the water table of up to 10 m/a, increased temperature and dissolved elements that are harmful to health and the environment. Regional groundwater coupled flow and heat transport under current conditions were studied on a basin-wide scale (7000 km2) using a three-dimensional finite-element model under steady-state conditions to provide support for water management decisions and transient modeling. Isothermal, forced and free thermal convection under existing hydrological conditions prior to pumping are analyzed. The results show that the interaction of topography-driven groundwater flow and buoyancy-driven free thermal convection are consistent with historical hydrological records, the characteristics of the water table, and thermal anomalies observed in the basin. The simulated groundwater recharge is near 7 ± 0.25 m3/s, a balance broken since the 1980s by extensive pumping. The results show the importance of considering the groundwater temperature, its transient response in the evolution of groundwater extraction, and the upward migration of a thermal front through the fractured aquifer that has increased risks for health and sustainability.