| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
This research investigated the potential impact of climate change on groundwater recharge to the fractured bedrock aquifers, which serve as the main source of potable water supply to the inhabitants of Gulf Islands in BC, Canada . Using Statistical DownScaling Model (SDSM) in combination with the LARS-WG stochastic weather generator, daily current and future climate data were generated from CGCM1 predictions of the study location. These predictions were used as input to the HELP hydrologic model for estimation of recharge for the different climate change periods. The main properties of the aquifer – soil permeability, aquifer permeability and water table depth - used for recharge modeling were linked to ArcGIS for generating recharge zones, which allowed spatial and temporal integration of the recharge results. According to HELP, the current mean annual recharge is about 44 % of the annual precipitation and is predicted to increase progressively by 7%, 8% and 9% in the 2020's, 2050's and 2080's, respectively, from the current. |
