• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.403-412
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• 2015

We summarize the status of exploitable groundwater reserves in Korea based on reports of the National Basic Groundwater Plan, and review methods for estimating groundwater recharge rates, as recharge is a key factor in the estimation of exploitable groundwater reserves. We also outline the various methods used to assess exploitable groundwater reserves in previous groundwater investigation reports. Regarding advancements in the estimation of exploitable groundwater, we recommend that enhanced estimation methodologies (e.g., the water balance method and the advanced water table fluctuation method) and sustainable groundwater management concepts be adopted in the near future.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.38 no.7 s.156
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• pp.517-526
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• 2005

In Korea, the methods of estimating groundwater recharge can categorized into two groups. One is baseflow separation method by means of groundurater recession curve, the other is water level fluctuation method by using the data from groundwater monitoring wells. Baseflow separation method is based on annual recharge and lumped concept, and water-table fluctuation method is largely dependent on monitoring wells rather than water budget in watershed. However, groundwater recharge rate shows the spatial-temporal variability due to climatic condition, land use and hydrogeological heterogeneity, these methods have various limits to deal with these characteristics. For this purpose, the method of estimating daily recharge rate with spatial variability based on distributed rainfall-runoff model is suggested in this study. Instead of representative recharge rate of large watershed, the subdivided recharge rate with heterogeneous characteristics can be computed in daily base. The estimated daily recharge rate is an advanced quantity reflecting the heterogeneity of hydrogeology, climatic condition, land use as well as physical behaviour of water in soil layers. Therefore, the newly suggested method could be expected to enhance existing methods.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.19-32
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• 2007

In Korea, there have been various methods of estimating groundwater recharge which generally can be subdivided into three types: baseflow separation method by means of groundwater recession curve, water budget analysis based on lumped conceptual model in watershed, and water table fluctuation method (WTF) by using the data from groundwater monitoring wells. However, groundwater recharge rate shows the spatial-temporal variability due to climatic condition, land use and hydrogeological heterogeneity, so these methods have various limits to deal with these characteristics. To overcome these limitations, we present a new method of estimating recharge based on water balance components from the SWAT-MODFLOW which is an integrated surface-ground water model. Groundwater levels in the interest area close to the stream have dynamics similar to stream flow, whereas levels further upslope respond to precipitation with a delay. As these behaviours are related to the physical process of recharge, it is needed to account for the time delay in aquifer recharge once the water exits the soil profile to represent these features. In SWAT, a single linear reservoir storage module with an exponential decay weighting function is used to compute the recharge from soil to aquifer on a given day. However, this module has some limitations expressing recharge variation when the delay time is too long and transient recharge trend does not match to the groundwater table time series, the multi-reservoir storage routing module which represents more realistic time delay through vadose zone is newly suggested in this study. In this module, the parameter related to the delay time should be optimized by checking the correlation between simulated recharge and observed groundwater levels. The final step of this procedure is to compare simulated groundwater table with observed one as well as to compare simulated watershed runoff with observed one. This method is applied to Mihocheon watershed in Korea for the purpose of testing the procedure of proper estimation of spatio-temporal groundwater recharge distribution. As the newly suggested method of estimating recharge has the advantages of effectiveness of watershed model as well as the accuracy of WTF method, the estimated daily recharge rate would be an advanced quantity reflecting the heterogeneity of hydrogeology, climatic condition, land use as well as physical behaviour of water in soil layers and aquifers.