Hydrology
350,000 years of Great Basin groundwater recharge
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
Devils Hole water-table history plus a groundwater model shows glacial recharge more than doubled modern rates while interglacial drying cut them only modestly.
Key findings
Peak glacial water tables at least +9.5 m imply recharge increases of at least 233–244% versus modern. Peak interglacial levels above −1.6 m imply at most a 17% (scaled) recharge drop. Water-table change per percent recharge is much larger in dry climates than wet ones.
Methodology
Authors inverted a modified groundwater-flow model against uranium-series Devils Hole paleo-water-table elevations, testing scaled versus uniform recharge maps over three glacial–interglacial cycles.
Limitations
Transmissivity, topography, and strain are assumed nearly constant; the exact glacial water-table maximum is unknown, so wet-period recharge is a lower bound.
How this study connects
Role on claims
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Devils Hole water-table history plus a groundwater model shows glacial recharge more than doubled modern rates while interglacial drying cut them only modestly.
Evidence for the claim as stated.
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