Publication Date

2015

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Pollyea, Ryan M.

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences

LCSH

Hydrologic sciences; Geology; Aquifers--Chile--Atacama Desert; Arid regions--Chile--Atacama Desert; Water-supply--Chile--Atacama Desert; Artificial groundwater recharge--Chile--Atacama Desert; Hydrology--Chile--Atacama Desert

Abstract

Northern Chile's Atacama Desert is one of the driest inhabited regions on the planet. The Pampa del Tamarugal Basin is located within the Atacama Desert and is home to 300,000 people, yet this region receives little to no rain (<5 mm/yr). However, despite the lack of rain, there is a large source of fresh water in the Pampa del Tamarugal Aquifer (PTA). The PTA is heavily relied upon for municipal, agriculture, and industrial uses. The source of water for the PTA is widely accepted to originate in the high Andes to the east, but the magnitude and mechanism for this recharge remains poorly understood. This study utilizes a 2-D numerical model that takes into account the complex geology and geothermal gradient in this region to further understand regional scale fluid flow within the Pampa del Tamarugal Basin. The results indicate that shallow fluid flow only recharges Salar de Huasco on the eastern edge of the model domain while deep, hydrothermal fluid circulation recharges the PTA and is also responsible for salar formation in the western portion of the basin.

Comments

Advisors: Ryan M. Pollyea.||Committee members: Philip J. Carpenter; Justin P. Dodd.

Extent

61 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

Download

Share

COinS