GIS based Spatial Groundwater Recharge estimation in the Jafr basin, Jordan - Application of WetSpass models for arid regions

Abstract

The spatial variation of groundwater recharge depends on distributed land-use, soil type or texture,\nslope, groundwater level, and meteorological conditions. This study was initiated to estimate groundwater\nrecharge using the WetSpass spatially distributed water balance model. The groundwater recharge in\nJafr basin takes place primarily in the outcrop area of the western highlands by direct and indirect\ninfiltration of rainfall. Due to sparseness of vegetation and steep topography, most of the recharge occurs\nby infiltration of runoff accumulating in the wadi beds during rainstorms. The long-term temporal and\nspatial average annual rainfall of 53.5 mm was distributed as 2.61 mm (4.9%) of surface runoff, 50.6\nmm (94.6%) of evapotranspiration, and 0.27 mm (0.5%) of recharge. This recharge corresponds to 3.67\nMm3 for the Jafr basin. Analysis of the simulated results reveals that WetSpass works well to simulate\nthe components of the hydrological balance for the Jafr basin.