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RBDMS, FracFocus, State Support, and Produced Water Initiatives

Award DE-FE-0027702 from the Department of Energy to the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) focused on state and federal priorities in the areas of state Risk Based Data Management System (RBDMS) development, connectivity between state systems and FracFocus.org, and data sharing initiatives across agencies. The primary objective was to enhance the RBDMS by adding new components relevant to current environmental topics such as hydraulic fracturing, increasing field inspection capabilities, creating linkages between FracFocus and state programs, upgrading eForm capabilities, and analyzing potential for data sharing. The recipient worked with state agencies developing RBDMS module(s) that meet these needs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

HarDWR - Water Management Area (WMA) Shapefiles

A dataset within the Harmonized Database of Western U.S. Water Rights (HarDWR). For a detailed description of the database, please see the meta-record v2.0. Changelog v2.0 - No changes v1.0 - Initial public release Description Borders of all Water Management Areas (WMAs) across the 11 western-most states of the coterminous United States are available filtered through a single source. The legal name for this set of boundaries varies state-by-state. The data is provided as two compressed shapefiles. One, stateWMAs, contains data for all 11 states. For 10 of those states, Arizona being the exception, the polygons represent the legal management boundaries used by those states to manage their surface and groundwater resources respectively. WMAs refer to the set of boundaries a particular state uses to manage its water resources. Each set of boundaries was collected from the states individually, and then merged into one spatial layer. The merging process included renaming some columns to enable merging with all other source layers, as well as removing columns deemed not required for followup analysis. The retained columns for each boundary are: basinNum - the state provided unique numerical ID; basinName - the state provided English name of the area, where applicable; state - the state name; and uniID - a unique identifier we created by concatenating the state name, and underscore, and the state numerical ID. Arizona is unique within this collection of states in that surface and groundwater resources are managed using two separate sets of boundaries. During our followup analysis (Grogan et al., in review) we decided to focus on one set of boundaries, those for surface water. This is due to the recommendation of our hydrologists that the surface water boundary set is a more realist representation of how water moves across the landscape, as a few of the groundwater boundaries are based on political and/or economic considerations. Therefore, the Arizona surface WMAs are included within stateWMAs. The Arizona groundwater WMAs are provided as a separate file, azGroundWMAs, as a companion to the first file for completeness and general reference. WMA spatial boundary data sources by state: Arizona: Arizona Surface Water Watersheds; Collected February, 2020; https://gisdata2016-11-18t150447874z-azwater.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/surface-watershed/explore?location=34.158174%2C-111.970823%2C7.50 Arizona: Arizona Ground Water Basins; Collected February, 2020; https://gisdata2016-11-18t150447874z-azwater.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/groundwater-basin-2/explore?location=34.158174%2C-111.970823%2C7.50 California: California CalWater 2.2.1; Collected February, 2020; https://www.mlml.calstate.edu/mpsl-mlml/data-center/data-entry-tools/data-tools/gis-shapefile-layers/ Colorado: Colorado Water District Boundaries; Collected February, 2020; https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdss/gis-data-category Idaho: Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) Administrative Basins; Collected November, 2015; https://data-idwr.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/fb0df7d688a04074bad92ca8ef74cc26_4/explore?location=45.018686%2C-113.862284%2C6.93 Montana: Collected June, 2019; Directly contacted Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) Office of Information Technology (OIT) Nevada: Nevada State Engineer Admin Basin Boundaries; Collected April, 2020 https://ndwr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?layers=1364d0c3a0284fa1bcd90f952b2b9f1c New Mexico: New Mexico Office of the State Engineer (OSE) Declared Groundwater Basins; Collected April, 2020 https://geospatialdata-ose.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/ose-declared-groundwater-basins/explore?location=34.179783%2C-105.996542%2C7.51 Oregon: Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) Administrative Basins; Collected February, 2020; https://www.oregon.gov/OWRD/access_Data/Pages/Data.aspx Utah: Utah Adjudication Books; Collected April, 2020; https://opendata.gis.utah.gov/datasets/utahDNR::utah-adjudication-books/explore?location=39.497165%2C-111.587782%2C-1.00 Washington: Washington Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIA); Collected June, 2017; https://ecology.wa.gov/Research-Data/Data-resources/Geographic-Information-Systems-GIS/Data Wyoming: Wyoming State Engineer's Office Board of Control Water Districts; Collected June, 2019; Directly contacted Wyoming State Engineer's Office

Economics↗

Time-dependent gravity in Southern California, May 1974 to April 1979

The Southern California gravity survey, begun in May 1974 to obtain high spatial and temporal density gravity measurements to be coordinated with long-baseline three dimensional geodetic measurements of the Astronomical Radio Interferometric Earth Surveying project, is presented. Gravity data was obtained from 28 stations located in and near the seismically active San Gabriel section of the Southern California Transverse Ranges and adjoining San Andreas Fault at intervals of one to two months using gravity meters relative to a base station standard meter. A single-reading standard deviation of 11 microGal is obtained which leads to a relative deviation of 16 microGal between stations, with data averaging reducing the standard error to 2 to 3 microGal. The largest gravity variations observed are found to correlate with nearby well water variations and smoothed rainfall levels, indicating the importance of ground water variations to gravity measurements. The largest earthquake to occur during the survey, which extended to April, 1979, is found to be accompanied in the station closest to the earthquake by the largest measured gravity changes that cannot be related to factors other than tectonic distortion.

Whitcomb, J. H.↗

Observing the Global Water Cycle from Space

This paper presents an approach to measuring all major components of the water cycle from space. The goal of the paper is to explore the concept of using a sensor-web of satellites to observe the global water cycle. The details of the required measurements and observation systems are therefore only an initial approach and will undergo future refinement, as their details will be highly important. Key elements include observation and evaluation of all components of the water cycle in terms of the storage of water-in the ocean, air, cloud and precipitation, in soil, ground water, snow and ice, and in lakes and rivers-and in terms of the global fluxes of water between these reservoirs. For each component of the water cycle that must be observed, the appropriate temporal and spatial scales of measurement are estimated, along with the some of the frequencies that have been used for active and passive microwave observations of the quantities. The suggested types of microwave observations are based on the heritage for such measurements, and some aspects of the recent heritage of these measurement algorithms are listed. The observational requirements are based on present observational systems, as modified by expectations for future needs. Approaches to the development of space systems for measuring the global water cycle can be based on these observational requirements.

Hildebrand, Peter H.↗

Observing the Global Water Cycle from Space

This paper presents an approach to measuring all major components of the water cycle from space. Key elements of the global water cycle are discussed in terms of the storage of water-in the ocean, air, cloud and precipitation, in soil, ground water, snow and ice, and in lakes and rivers, and in terms of the global fluxes of water between these reservoirs. Approaches to measuring or otherwise evaluating the global water cycle are presented, and the limitations on known accuracy for many components of the water cycle are discussed, as are the characteristic spatial and temporal scales of the different water cycle components. Using these observational requirements for a global water cycle observing system, an approach to measuring the global water cycle from space is developed. The capabilities of various active and passive microwave instruments are discussed, as is the potential of supporting measurements from other sources. Examples of space observational systems, including TRMM/GPM precipitation measurement, cloud radars, soil moisture, sea surface salinity, temperature and humidity profiling, other measurement approaches and assimilation of the microwave and other data into interpretative computer models are discussed to develop the observational possibilities. The selection of orbits is then addressed, for orbit selection and antenna size/beamwidth considerations determine the sampling characteristics for satellite measurement systems. These considerations dictate a particular set of measurement possibilities, which are then matched to the observational sampling requirements based on the science. The results define a network of satellite instrumentation systems, many in low Earth orbit, a few in geostationary orbit, and all tied together through a sampling network that feeds the observations into a data-assimilative computer model.

Hildebrand, P. H.↗

Study to define points of entry for potential contaminants in limestone aquifers

Visual examinations of both prints and transparencies from ERTS 1 and U-2 aircraft imagery provided a method for discovering possible points of entry of potential contaminants into the limestone aquifer in Madison County, Alabama. Knowledge of the locations at which contaminants could enter the aquifer is an important consideration in water quality management, particularly for regions that depend, at least partially, on ground water for their water supply. ERTS 1 imagery recorded on December 28, 1972 in the Multispectral Scanner-5 (MSS-5) and MSS-7 bands, and a false-color composite of the MSS-4 (green), MSS-5 (red), and MSS-7 (near infrared) bands were the principal materials used, along with thermography recorded by an RS-7 infrared scanner onboard a U-2 aircraft. The results of the study are discussed in detail, providing information on prominent lineations and major fracture trends which are related to aquifer contamination. Maps depicting the observations are also presented.

Doyle, F. L.↗

Evolution of the Martian hydrosphere

The concept of the hydrological cycle is one of the greatest achievements in the understanding of nature. Leonardo da Vinci seems to have held two concurrent views of the cycle: an external process in which evaporation from ponded areas leads to precipitation and runoff from the land; and an internal process in which subsurface pressures from within the Earth force water upward. Endogenetic hypotheses for valley genesis on Mars maintain the necessary prolonged ground water flows by hydrothermal circulation associated with impact cratering or with volcanism. Ocean formation on Mars was episodic, mostly evidenced by the latest episodes. Coincident cataclysmic flood discharges to the northern plains, probably triggered by Tharsis volcanism, would lead to immense consequences. Potential volumes of ponded water are summarized. The outflow channels have a complex history of flooding events over a prolonged period of planetary history. It is hypothesized that episodic outbursts of concurrent discharge was triggered by planetary scale volcanism. The consequences of such episodes are summarized.

Baker, V.↗

Utilization of an Airborne Plant Chlorophyll Imaging System for Detection of Septic System Malfunction

Malfunctioning, or leaking, sewer systems increase the supply of water and nutrients to surface vegetation. Excess nutrients and harmful bacteria in the effluent pollute ground water and local water bodies and are dangerous to humans and the aquatic ecosystems. An airborne multispectral plant chlorophyll imaging system (PCIS) was used to identify growth patterns in the vegetation covering onsite and public sewer systems. The objective was to evaluate overall performance of the PCIS as well as to determine the best operational configuration for this application. The imaging system was flown in a light aircraft over selected locations Mobile County, Alabama. Calibration panels were used to help characterize instrument performance. Results demonstrated that the PCIS performed well and was capable of detecting septic leakage patterns from altitudes as high as 915 m. From 915 m, 6 of 18 sites were suspected to have sewage leakage. Subsequent ground inspections confirmed leakage on 3 of the 6 sites. From 610 m, 3 of 8 known leakage sites were detected. Tree cover and shadows near residential structures prevented detection of several known malfunctioning systems. Also some leakages known to occur in clear areas were not detected. False detections occurred in areas characterized by surface water drainage problems or recent excavation.

Spiering, Bruce A.↗

Measurements of earth-space attenuation at 230 GHz

Measurements of attenuation at 230 GHz through the total atmosphere due to the presence of oxygen and water vapor molecules, clouds, and rain are presented. The measurements were carried out using a specially designed superheterodyne receiver mounted on a sun tracker. Simultaneous measurements were also carried out at 13 GHz. For a measuring site close to sea level at Holmdel, NJ, the 'clear-sky' zenith attenuation was found as a function of the measured ground water vapor density. When the ground temperature was below about 7 C, most cloud and overcast gave less than 0.5-dB attenuation, whereas with a ground temperature greater than 13 C, cloud attenuation was 8-10 times greater. Calculations of zenith attenuation in the 230-GHz atmospheric window were also made using the Gross analytic line shape, Schulze-Tolbert empirical line shape, and an empirically modified Gross line shape. These calculations were based on determinations of water vapor density and temperature made at the measurement site, and on radiosonde measurements made at a distance of 80 km away.

Wrixon, G. T.↗

Shortwave Radiation

Accurate shortwave radiation data is critical to evapotranspiration (ET) models used for developing irrigation schedules to optimize crop production while saving water, minimizing fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide applications, reducing soil erosion, and protecting surface and ground water quality. Low cost silicon cell pyranometers have proven to be sufficiently accurate and robust for widespread use in agricultural applications under unobstructed daylight conditions. More expensive thermopile pyranometers are required for use as calibration standards and measurements under light with unique spectral properties (electric lights, under vegetation, in greenhouses and growth chambers). Routine cleaning, leveling, and annual calibration checks will help to ensure the integrity of long-term data.

Klassen, Steve↗

ISS Expeditions 16 Thru 20: Chemical Analysis Results for Potable Water

This slide presentation reviews the results of the chemical analysis of the potable water supply from the International Space Station (ISS) expeditions 16 thru 20. Both Russian ground water and shuttle-transferred water are available for the use of the ISS crew's requirements. This is supplemented with condensate water and water form the Water Recovery System (WRS). An overview of the condensate H2O recovery system is given and the WRS is described and diagrammed. The water quality requirements, the handling, and analytical methods for the inorganic and organic tests are reviewed. The chemical analysis results for expeditions 16-20 archival water samples collected from the various water sources indicate that all of the ISS potable water supplies were acceptable for crew consumption.

Straub, John E., II↗

HarDWR - Harmonized Water Rights Records

For a detailed description of the database of which this record is only one part, please see the HarDWR meta-record. Here we present a new dataset of western U.S. water rights records. This dataset provides consistent unique identifiers for each spatial unit of water management across the domain, unique identifiers for each water right record, and a consistent categorization scheme that puts each water right record into one of 7 broad use categories. These data were instrumental in conducting a study of the multi-sector dynamics of intersectoral water allocation changes through water markets (Grogan et al., in review). Specifically, the data were formatted for use as input to a process-based hydrologic model, WBM, with a water rights module (Grogan et al., in review). While this specific study motivated the development of the database presented here, U.S. west water management is a rich area of study (e.g., Anderson and Woosly, 2005; Tidwell, 2014; Null and Prudencio, 2016; Carney et al, 2021) so releasing this database publicly with documentation and usage notes will enable other researchers to do further work on water management in the U.S. west. The raw downloaded data for each state is described in Lisk et al. (in review), as well as here. The dataset is a collection of objects stored within an RDate file, stateWaterRightsHarmonized.RData. Each object either describes how one should interact with the other objects, or contains the harmonized water rights data. Here is each object described in detail: states: A character vector containing the state names for those states in which data was collected for. More importantly, the index of the state name is also the index in which that state's data can be found in the various following list objects. For example, if California is the third index in this object, the data for California will also be in the third index for each accompanying list. rightsByState_ground: A list of data frames with the cleaned ground water rights collected from each state. The column headers for each data frame are: waterRightID - The unique identifying ID of the water right, the same identifier as its state uses. basinNum - The alpha-numeric identifier of the WMA the record belongs to. priorityDate - The priority date associated with the right. allocatedFlow - The maximum flow of the allocation in cubic feet per second (ft3s-1). source - Whether the right is for surface water or groundwater. origWaterUse - The original stated water use from the state. waterUse - The water use category under the unified use categories established here. rightsByState_surface: A list of the cleaned surface water rights collected from each state. See rightsByState_ground for more details on how the data is formatted. fullRightsRecs: A list of the combined groundwater and surface water records for each state. Essentially, these lists are the merging of rightsByState_ground and rightsByState_surface by state. See rightsByState_ground for more details on how the data is formatted. projProj: The spatial projection used for map creation in the beginning of the project. Specifically, the World Geodetic System (WGS84) as a coordinate reference system (CRS) string in PROJ.4 format. wmaStateLabel: The name and/or abbreviation for what each state legally calls their WMAs. h2oUseByState: A list of spatial polygon data frames which contain the area(s) in which each water right is claimed to be used. It should be noted that not all water right records have a listed area(s) of use in this object. Currently, only Idaho and Washington provided valid data to be included in this object. h2oDivByState: A list of spatial points data frames which identifies the location of the Point of Diversion for the state's water rights. It should be noted that not all water right records have a listed Point of Diversion in this object. spatialWMAByState: A list of spatial polygon data frames which contain the spatial WMA boundaries for each state. The only data contained within the table are identifiers for each polygon. It is worth reiterating that Arizona is the only state in which the surface and groundwater WMA boundaries are not the same. wmaIDByState: A list which contains the unique ID values of the WMAs for each state. plottingDim: A character vector used to inform mapping functions for internal map making. Each state is classified as either "tall" or "wide", to maximize space on a typical 8x11 page.

Economics↗

Widening ERTS applications

In less than two years of operation ERTS-1 is shown to have successfully completed its experimental mission and to be delivering an ever-increasing roster of benefits. The widening ERTS applications reviewed include air quality and weather modification, aid to oil exploration, ore-deposit exploration, short-lived event observation, flood area assessment and flood-plain mapping, land and water quality assessment, soil association mapping, crop production measurements, wildlife resources, drought and desertification studies, ground-water exploration, watershed surveys, snow and ice monitoring, surface water mapping, and iceberg surveys. Future projects and developments are also briefly reviewed.

Mercanti, E. P.↗

Utilizing TRMM to Analyze Sea Breeze Thunderstorm Patterns During El Nino Southern Oscillations and Their Effects upon Available Fresh Water for South Florida Agricultural Planning and Management

Water is in high demand for farmers regardless of where you go. Unfortunately, farmers in southern Florida have fewer options for water supplies than public users and are often limited to using available supplies from surface and ground water sources which depend in part upon variable weather patterns. There is an interest by the agricultural community about the effect weather has on usable surface water, however, research into viable weather patterns during La Nina and El Nino has yet to be researched. Using rainfall accumulation data from NASA Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite, this project s purpose was to assess the influence of El Nino and La Nina Oscillations on sea breeze thunderstorm patterns, as well as general rainfall patterns during the summer season in South Florida. Through this research we were able to illustrate the spatial and temporal variations in rainfall accumulation for each oscillation in relation to major agricultural areas. The study period for this project is from 1998, when TRMM was first launched, to 2009. Since sea breezes in Florida typically occur in the months of May through October, these months were chosen to be the months of the study. During this time, there were five periods of El Nino and two periods of La Nina, with a neutral period separating each oscillation. In order to eliminate rainfall from systems other than sea breeze thunderstorms, only days that were conducive to the development of a sea breeze front were selected.

Cooley, Clayton↗

Florida Agriculture - Utilizing TRMM to Analyze Sea Breeze Thunderstorm Patterns During El Nino Southern Oscillations and Their Effects Upon Available Fresh Water for South Florida Agricultural Planning and Management

This project utilizes Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Landsat satellite data to assess the impact of sea breeze precipitation upon areas of agricultural land use in southern Florida. Water is a critical resource to agriculture, and the availability of water for agricultural use in Florida continues to remain a key issue. Recent projections of statewide water use by 2020 estimate that 9.3 billion gallons of water per day will be demanded, and agriculture represents 47% of this demand (Bronson 2003). Farmers have fewer options for water supplies than public users and are often limited to using available supplies from surface and ground water sources which depend in part upon variable weather patterns. Sea breeze thunderstorms are responsible for much of the rainfall delivered to Florida during the wet season (May-October) and have been recognized as an important overall contributor of rainfall in southern Florida (Almeida 2003). TRMM satellite data was used to analyze how sea breeze-induced thunderstorms during El Nino and La Nina affected interannual patterns of precipitation in southern Florida from 1998-2009. TRMM's Precipitation Radar and Microwave Imager provide data to quantify water vapor in the atmosphere, precipitation rates and intensity, and the distribution of precipitation. Rainfall accumulation data derived from TRMM and other microwave sensors were used to analyze the temporal and spatial variations of rainfall during each phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Through the use of TRMM and Landsat, slight variations were observed, but it was determined that neither sea breeze nor total rainfall patterns in South Florida were strongly affected by ENSO during the study period. However, more research is needed to characterize the influence of ENSO on summer weather patterns in South Florida. This research will provide the basis for continued observations and study with the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission.

Billiot, Amanda↗

The contribution of space observations to water resources management; Proceedings of the Symposium, Bangalore, India, May 29-June 9, 1979

The symposium focused on hydrology, soil moisture estimation and ground water exploration, wetlands monitoring and water quality estimation, hydrometeorology, snow and ice monitoring, and evapotranspiration estimation. Other problems discussed include surface water and flood mapping, watershed runoff estimation and prediction, and new space systems contributing to water resources management.

Salomonson, V. V.↗

Land Water Storage within the Congo Basin Inferred from GRACE Satellite Gravity Data

GRACE satellite gravity data is used to estimate terrestrial (surface plus ground) water storage within the Congo Basin in Africa for the period of April, 2002 - May, 2006. These estimates exhibit significant seasonal (30 +/- 6 mm of equivalent water thickness) and long-term trends, the latter yielding a total loss of approximately 280 km(exp 3) of water over the 50-month span of data. We also combine GRACE and precipitation data set (CMAP, TRMM) to explore the relative contributions of the source term to the seasonal hydrological balance within the Congo Basin. We find that the seasonal water storage tends to saturate for anomalies greater than 30-44 mm of equivalent water thickness. Furthermore, precipitation contributed roughly three times the peak water storage after anomalously rainy seasons, in early 2003 and 2005, implying an approximately 60-70% loss from runoff and evapotranspiration. Finally, a comparison of residual land water storage (monthly estimates minus best-fitting trends) in the Congo and Amazon Basins shows an anticorrelation, in agreement with the 'see-saw' variability inferred by others from runoff data.

Crowley, John W.↗