Characterization of the groundwater storage systems of south-central chile: An approach based on recession flow analysis

Abstract

Groundwater storage and discharge are important processes that have not yet been sufficiently studied in some parts of Chile. Additionally, in watersheds without snow cover or glaciers, groundwater storage and release are the main sources of minimum flow generation; therefore, improvements are required to characterize this process. This study aimed to use recession flow analysis to link groundwater storage depletion to the predominant geological characteristics of each watershed in order to improve our understanding of the groundwater storage-release process in 24 watersheds in south-central Chile. The results allowed different groundwater storage behaviors associated with different geological characteristics to be identified, making recession flow analysis a valuable tool for improving the representation and conceptualization of this process in order to advance toward better minimum flow predictions.