The impact of climate change, human interference, scale and modeling uncertainties on the estimation of aquifer properties and river flow components

摘要: Summary Within the period 1978–2006, climate change and human interferences produced noticeable impacts on hydrology of a small watershed, known as Beca River basin. Climate was characterized by persistent raise in temperature (+0.78 °C decade − 1 ) drop annual rainfall (−300 mm decade ). Human included construction dam for electric power generation, 1998, since then transference flows from lake to adjacent Tâmega River. The catchment comprised decline aquifer hydraulic conductivity effective porosity, approximately one order magnitude, related water table lowering about 17 m within bedrock composed weathered fractured Hercynian granites Paleozoic metassediments saprolite layers derived therefrom. Aquifer property estimates were compared across spatial scales, namely nested sub-basins scale. Sub-basin aquifers are more porous permeable than basin because corresponding circuits shallower. Comparisons also made between properties measured simulated stream flows, which revealed effects modeling uncertainties results. suffered substantial decrease course interference, especially overland (4/5 decrease) base (2/3 decrease). inter less affected (1/3 they partly fed with storage, turn underwent depletion. hydrologic changes anticipate important local use natural water. In this context, aforementioned may have caused limited access shallow groundwater activities such crop irrigation dug wells, whereas severe had certainly reduced availability surface refilling lakes supply public private boreholes.