Development of an Interactive Model Predicting Climatological and Cultural Influences on Annual Groundwater Volume in the Mississippi Delta Shallow Alluvial Aquifer

Author

Tia Leni Merrell

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Wax, Charles

Committee Member

Schmitz, Darrel

Committee Member

Pote, Jonathan

Date of Degree

5-2-2009

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Geosciences

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Geosciences

Abstract

Water volume in the shallow alluvial aquifer in the Mississippi Delta region is subject to seasonal declines and annual fluctuations caused by both climatological variability and crop water use variations from year-to-year. The most recently documented water volume decline in the aquifer is estimated at 500,000 acreeet. Available climate, crop acreage, irrigation water use, and groundwater decline data from Sunflower County, MS are used to evaluate the climate-groundwater interactions in the Mississippi Delta region. This research produced a model that simulates the effects of climatic variability, crop acreage changes, and specific irrigation methods on consequent variations in the water volume in the aquifer. Climatic variability is accounted for in the model by predicative equations that relate annual measured plant water use (irrigation) to growing season precipitation amounts. This derived relationship allows the application of a long-term climatological record to simulate the cumulative impact of climate on groundwater used for irrigation.

Temporal Coverage

2000-2009

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/14888

Recommended Citation

Merrell, Tia Leni, "Development of an Interactive Model Predicting Climatological and Cultural Influences on Annual Groundwater Volume in the Mississippi Delta Shallow Alluvial Aquifer" (2009). Theses and Dissertations. 1445.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/1445