Change in groundwater table depth caused by natural change and human activities during the past 40 years in the Shiyang River Basin, northwest China.

Groundwater is the primary water source for agriculture, social economy, and ecosystem in the Shiyang River Basin (SRB), northwest China. Research on its variation and attribution is of great importance for the sustainable development of local economy, water resources, and the environment. In this study, the changes in the groundwater table depth (GTD) during 1980-2017 in different sub-basins and different periods were analyzed using the linear trend and moving t-test methods.

Isotopes and sustainability of ground water resources, North China Plain.

Ground water in deep confined aquifers is one of the major water resources for agricultural, industrial, and domestic uses in the North China Plain. Detailed information on ground water age and recharge is vital for the proper management of these water resources, and to this end, we used carbon 14 of dissolved inorganic carbon and tritium in water to measure the age and determine the recharge areas of ground water in the North China Plain. These isotopic data suggest that most ground water in the piedmont part of the North China Plain is <40 years old and is recharged locally.