Project Details
Description
Isotopes (i.e., oxygen-18, deuterium, tritium and radiocarbon) are widely used as ideal tracers to estimate transit time distributions (TTDs),
allowing hydrologists to understand groundwater recharge and the groundwater to surface water interface. However, in northern
Australia (NA), there is a lack of long-term, high-resolution isotope data, resulting in significant knowledge gaps regarding the origin and
TTDs of the water that sustains its ecosystems. This PhD aims to better understand the hydrology in tropical regions characterised by an
annual cycle of intense wet seasons driven by monsoon conditions, followed by long dry seasons. My proposal is organised in three
chapters. Chapter 1 will focus on precipitation isotopes. I will explore the variability in stable isotopes in precipitation in an under-studied
and un-sampled region, identifying their spatial and temporal structures. Seasonal patterns will be identified and mathematically
modelled. For Chapter 2, I will determine the TTDs of springs that sustain important groundwater-dependent ecosystems across NA. Spring
water samples will be collected from up to twenty sites across NT. Stable and radioactive isotope data will be included in time-invariant
lumped sum parameter models to estimate TTDs of the baseflow of these springs. Finally, for Chapter 3, I will determine how TTDs vary
over time in two contrasting catchments. I will explore the dynamics of these hydrological systems by using a combination of stable and
radioactive isotopes along with a range of numerical modelling approaches. Samples will be collected from Keep River and Rapid Creek.
Time-variant models will be applied to develop time-variant TTDs for these catchments. The models developed for this study will be used
in future isoscape production in seasonal tropical regions globally. The TTDs will provide invaluable information for water resource
managers in their future planning and serve as a baseline for other seasonal tropical catchments worldwide.
allowing hydrologists to understand groundwater recharge and the groundwater to surface water interface. However, in northern
Australia (NA), there is a lack of long-term, high-resolution isotope data, resulting in significant knowledge gaps regarding the origin and
TTDs of the water that sustains its ecosystems. This PhD aims to better understand the hydrology in tropical regions characterised by an
annual cycle of intense wet seasons driven by monsoon conditions, followed by long dry seasons. My proposal is organised in three
chapters. Chapter 1 will focus on precipitation isotopes. I will explore the variability in stable isotopes in precipitation in an under-studied
and un-sampled region, identifying their spatial and temporal structures. Seasonal patterns will be identified and mathematically
modelled. For Chapter 2, I will determine the TTDs of springs that sustain important groundwater-dependent ecosystems across NA. Spring
water samples will be collected from up to twenty sites across NT. Stable and radioactive isotope data will be included in time-invariant
lumped sum parameter models to estimate TTDs of the baseflow of these springs. Finally, for Chapter 3, I will determine how TTDs vary
over time in two contrasting catchments. I will explore the dynamics of these hydrological systems by using a combination of stable and
radioactive isotopes along with a range of numerical modelling approaches. Samples will be collected from Keep River and Rapid Creek.
Time-variant models will be applied to develop time-variant TTDs for these catchments. The models developed for this study will be used
in future isoscape production in seasonal tropical regions globally. The TTDs will provide invaluable information for water resource
managers in their future planning and serve as a baseline for other seasonal tropical catchments worldwide.
| Status | Not started |
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