Abstract
Alluvial fans in piedmont areas are major reservoirs of groundwater. Fan aquifers are typically complex systems composed of multiple aquifers and aquitards. The highest infiltration rates on alluvial fans are at the apex zone. Farther down-fan where the beds become thinner and sorting improves, there is a decrease in the hydraulic conductivity. The aquitards act as partial barriers to infiltration, confine vertical percolation, and direct the groundwater flow laterally into separate strata, thus building individual pressurized horizons. The aquifer transmissivities and the storage coefficients are highest in the fans’ intermediate zone.
As the groundwater carries part of the granular load, withdrawal of groundwater from the fan aquifer causes compaction of the underground grain material and reduces the pore volume. The removal of groundwater from the fan aquifer results in consolidation of the deposits and causes ground subsidence. Changes of groundwater level have also been observed to accompany earthquakes.
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Bowman, D. (2019). Groundwater. In: Principles of Alluvial Fan Morphology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1558-2_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1558-2_14
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