Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Development of a groundwater flow and reactive solute transport model in the Yongding River alluvial fan, China

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers of Earth Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Yongding River in the western suburbs of Beijing has been recharged with reclaimed water since 2010 for the purpose of ecological restoration. Where the reclaimed water is not well treated, it poses a danger to the aquifer underneath the river. To provide a reliable tool which could be used in future research to quantify the influence of reclaimed water in the Yongding River on the local groundwater environment, a transient groundwater flow and reactive solute transport model was developed using FEFLOW™ in the middle-upper part of the Yongding River Alluvium Fan. The numerical model was calibrated against the observed groundwater levels and the concentrations of typical solutes from June 2009 to May 2010 and validated from June 2010 to December 2010. The average RMSE and R2 of groundwater level at four observation wells are 0.48 m and 0.61, respectively. The reasonable agreement between observed and simulated results demonstrates that the developed model is reliable and capable of predicting the behavior of groundwater flow and typical contaminant transport with reactions. Water budget analysis indicates that the water storage in this aquifer had decreased by 43.76×106m3 from June 2009 to December 2010. The concentration distributions of typical solutes suggest that the middle and southern parts of the unconfined aquifer have been polluted by previous discharge of industrial and domestic sewage. The results underscore the necessity of predicting the groundwater response to reclaimed water being discharged into the Yongding River. The study established a coupled groundwater flow and reactive solute transport model in the middle-upper part of the Yongding River Alluvium Fan, one of the drinking water supply sites in Beijing city. The model would be used for risk assessment when reclaimed water was recharged into Yongding River.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bear J (1977). On the aquifer integrated balance equations. Adv Water Resour, 1(1): 15–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beijing Water Authority (BWA) (2009a). Green Yongding River: the construction plan for an ecological corridor. Beijing, China (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Beijing Water Authority (BWA) (2009b). Beijing water resources bulletin in 2009. Beijing, China (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Beijing Water Authority (BWA) (2010). Beijing water resources bulletin in 2010. Beijing, China (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao G, Zheng C, Scanlon B R, Liu J, Li W (2013). Use of flow modeling to assess sustainability of groundwater resources in the North China Plain. Water Resour Res, 49(1): 159–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng D (2007). Hydrogeochemical Processes and Numerical Simulation of Nitrate Nitrogen and Total Hardness in Groundwater of Beijing Urban. Dissertation for PhD Degree. China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins S, Singh R, Rivas A, Palmer A, Horne D, Manderson A, Roygard J, Matthews A (2017). Transport and potential attenuation of nitrogen in shallow groundwaters in the lower Rangitikei catchment, New Zealand. J Contam Hydrol, 206: 55–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui Z, Welty C, Maxwell R M (2014). Modeling nitrogen transport and transformation in aquifers using a particle tracking approach. Comput Geosci, 70: 1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong S (2010). Nitrogen Numerical Simulation in Beijing Urban Groundwater and Monitored Natural Attenuation about Groundwater. Dissertation for Master Degree. China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Feng S, Huo Z, Kang S, Tang Z, Wang F (2011). Groundwater simulation using a numerical model under different water resources management scenarios in an arid region of China. Environ Earth Sci, 62(5): 961–971

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo G, Li Y, Xu L, Li Z, Yang Q, Xu M (2014). Risk assessment of quaternary groundwater contamination in Beijing plain. Environ Sci (Ruse), 35(2): 562–568 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hao Q, Shao J, Cui Y, Xie Z (2014). Applicability of artificial recharge of groundwater in the Yongding River alluvial fan in Beijing through numerical simulation. J Earth Sci, 25(3): 575–586

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He G, Liu P, Mu X, Wu Q, Liu M(2016). Identification of nitrate sources in groundwater in the Yongding River alluvial fan with isotope technology. J Hydraul Eng, 47(4): 582–588 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu H, Mao X, Barry D A, Liu C, Li P (2015). Modeling reactive transport of reclaimed water through large soil columns with different low-permeability layers. Hydrogeol J, 23(2): 351–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang B, Wong C P, Lu F, Ouyang Z, Wang Y (2014). Drivers of drying on the Yongding River in Beijing. J Hydrol (Amst), 519: 69–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin D, Jin M, Liang X, Zhan H (2013). Estimating groundwater recharge beneath irrigated farmland using environmental tracers fluoride, chloride and sulfate. Hydrogeol J, 21(7): 1469–1480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin J (2004). The Analysis of Pollution History for the Groundwater in Urban and Suburb Area of Beijing. Dissertation for Master degree. Changchun: Jilin University (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin J, Yang Q, Yang Q, Liu F J, Chen Z, Dou W, Jiang Y, Liu Z, Zhao W, Ni T (2011). Impacts of Reclaimed Water Reuse in the Typical River Channel of the Yongding River on the Groundwater and Model Establishment. Research report, Beijing: Beijing Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu C, Zhang F, Zhang Y, Song S, Zhang S, Ye H, Hou H, Yang L, Zhang M (2005). Experimental and numerical study of pollution process in an aquifer in relation to a garbage dump field. Environmental Geology, 48(8): 1107–1115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu M, Seyf-Laye A S M, Ibrahim T, Gbandi D B, Chen H (2014). Tracking sources of groundwater nitrate contamination using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes at Beijing area, China. Environ Earth Sci, 72(3): 707–715

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y (2012). Study on the Groundwater Reservoir Storage Capacity and Utilization Mode in Western Suburb of Beijing. Dissertation for Master degree. Changchun: Jilin University (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng S, Fei Y, Zhang Z, Lei T, Qian Y, Li Y (2013). Research on spatial and temporal distribution of the precipitation infiltration amount over the past 50 Years in North China Plain. Advances in Earth Science, 28(8): 923–929 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Peng J, Li S, Qi L (2013). Study on river regulation measures of dried-up rivers of Haihe River basin, China. Water Sci Technol, 67(6): 1224–1229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qin H, Cao G, Kristensen M, Refsgaard J C, Rasmussen M O, He X, Liu J, Shu Y, Zheng C (2013). Integrated hydrological modeling of the North China Plain and implications for sustainable water management. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci, 17(10): 3759–3778

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rivett M O, Buss S R, Morgan P, Smith J W N, Bemment C D (2008). Nitrate attenuation in groundwater: a review of biogeochemical controlling processes. Water Res, 42(16): 4215–4232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheibley R W, Jackman A P, Duff J H, Triska F J (2003). Numerical modeling of coupled nitrification–denitrification in sediment perfusion cores from the hyporheic zone of the Shingobee River, MN. Adv Water Resour, 26: 977–987

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soldatova E, Guseva N, Sun Z, Bychinsky V, Boeckx P, Gao B (2017). Sources and behaviour of nitrogen compounds in the shallow groundwater of agricultural areas (Poyang Lake basin, China). J Contam Hydrol, 202: 59–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuart M E, Lapworth D J (2016). Macronutrient status of UK groundwater: nitrogen, phosphorus and organic carbon. Sci Total Environ, 572: 1543–1560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun F, Shao H, Kalbacher T, Wang W, Yang Z, Huang Z, Kolditz O (2011). Groundwater drawdown at Nankou site of Beijing Plain: model development and calibration. Environ Earth Sci, 64(5): 1323–1333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun F, Shao H, Wang W, Watanabe N, Bilke L, Yang Z, Huang Z, Kolditz O (2012). Groundwater deterioration in Nankou—A suburban area of Beijing: data assessment and remediation scenarios. Environ Earth Sci, 67(6): 1573–1586

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, He J, Chen H (2012). Assessment of groundwater contamination risk using hazard quantification, a modified DRASTIC model and groundwater value, Beijing Plain, China. Sci Total Environ, 432: 216–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Wang Z, Koike T, Yin H, Yang D, He S (2010). The assessment of surface water resources for the semi-arid Yongding River Basin from 1956 to 2000 and the impact of land use change. Hydrol Processes, 24(9): 1123–1132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Shao J, Song X, Zhang Y, Huo Z, Zhou X (2008). Application of MODFLOW and geographic information system to groundwater flow simulation in North China Plain, China. Environmental Geology, 55(7): 1449–1462

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Zheng W, Currell M, Yang Y, Zhao H, Lv M (2017). Relationship between land-use and sources and fate of nitrate in groundwater in a typical recharge area of the North China Plain. Sci Total Environ, 609: 607–620

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu X (2006). A study of Numerical Simulation for Groundwater Flow in the Beijing Plain. Dissertation for Master Degree. China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin S,Wu W, Liu H, Bao Z (2016). The impact of river infiltration on the chemistry of shallow groundwater in a reclaimed water irrigation area. J Contam Hydrol, 193: 1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu C, Yao Y, Cao G, Zheng C (2015). A field demonstration of groundwater vulnerability assessment using transport modeling and groundwater age modeling, Beijing Plain, China. Environ Earth Sci, 73(9): 5245–5253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu Y, Ma M, Zheng F, Liu L, Zhao N, Li X, Yang Y, Guo J (2017). Spatio-temporal variation and controlling factors of water quality in Yongding River replenished by reclaimed water in Beijing, North China. Water, 9(7): 453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhai Y, Wang J, Huan H, Zhou J, Wei W (2013). Characterizing the groundwater renewability and evolution of the strongly exploited aquifers of the North China Plain by major ions and environmental tracers. J Radioanal Nucl Chem, 296(3): 1263–1274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang S, Wang C, Meng X, Hua D, Men B, Li Z (2013). Evaporation study in Beijing section of the Yongding River. Progress in Geography, 32(4): 580–586 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Y, Dong D, Liu J, Li W (2013). Upgrading a regional groundwater level monitoring network for Beijing Plain, China. Geoscience Frontiers, 4(1): 127–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu L, Liu C, Li X, Guo G, Pan Y (2013). Precipitation infiltration change in Beijing Plain in the context of urbanization. Journal of China University of Geosciences (Earth Science edition), 38(5): 1065–1072

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51379207 and 51609118) and Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Project (No. D090409004009004). The authors would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their help in improving the paper quality of the manuscript. The authors are grateful to Professor Adebayo J. Adeloye for his help in improving the English of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inner Mongolia River and Lake Ecology Laboratory, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China

    Haizhu Hu

  2. Center for Agricultural Water Research in China, College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Haizhu Hu & Xiaomin Mao

  3. Beijing Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, Beijing, 100195, China

    Qing Yang

Authors
  1. Haizhu Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaomin Mao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Qing Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaomin Mao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hu, H., Mao, X. & Yang, Q. Development of a groundwater flow and reactive solute transport model in the Yongding River alluvial fan, China. Front. Earth Sci. 13, 371–384 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-018-0718-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-018-0718-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation