Scaling of field-based estimates of steady-state discharge using depth to groundwater

Abstract

Along the arid south-western margin of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB), estimates of steady-state evaporative discharge from upward leaking artesian groundwater are required to constrain the water balance. This is required to balance the use of the GAB resource for pastoral and mining operations with maintaining flow to environmentally important springs. Point-based field estimates of evaporative discharge were collected during 2007-2009 using a range of techniques, including microlysimeters and soil profile modelling. We investigate the relationship between the measured evaporative discharge and the depth to the unconfined water table as a means of scaling the point-based field measurements ..