Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5145
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5145
Annual Ground-Water Discharge by Evapotranspiration from Areas of Spring-Fed
Riparian Vegetation Along the Eastern Margin of Death Valley, 2000–02
Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service
By Randell J. Laczniak, J. LaRue Smith, and Guy A. DeMeo
Table of Contents
Conversion Factors and Datums
Abstract
Introduction
Evapotranspiration and Ground-Water
Discharge
Summary
Acknowledgments
References Cited
Figures
Figure 1. Physiography and hydrography
of Death Valley area.
Figure 2. Areas of Death Valley imaged
by IKONOS satellite in 2001.
Figure 3. Natural-color composites
of Furnace Creek Airport showing spatial resolution of IKONOS imagery.
Figure 4. Field acquisition of spectral
data.
Figure 5. Field spectra measured over
calibration tarps and other vegetated and non-vegetated sites in Furnace Creek
and Grapevine Springs areas.
Figure 6. Spatial distribution of modified
soil-adjusted vegetation indices calculated from IKONOS multi-spectral imagery
of (A) Furnace Creek and (B) Grapevine Springs areas.
Figure 7. Distribution of ET units
within Grapevine Springs discharge area that were delineated using a modified
soil-adjusted vegetation index.
Figure 8. Distribution of ET units
in major spring-discharge areas of the Grapevine Springs imagery that were delineated
using a modified soil-adjusted vegetation index.
Figure 9. Distribution of ET units
in major spring-discharge areas of the Furnace Creek imagery that were delineated
using a modified soil-adjusted vegetation index.
Figure 10. Spectral signatures from
the IKONOS imagery used to classify ET units within the Grapevine Springs discharge
area.
Figure 11. Distribution of ET units
that were delineated by land-cover classification in the Grapevine Springs discharge
area.
Figure 12. Data-collection sites in
Grapevine Springs discharge area.
Figure 13. Instrumentation at Grapevine
Springs ET site.
Figure 14. Micrometeorological data
collected at Grapevine Springs ET site, February 20–April
11, 2001.
Figure 15. Daily minimum, average,
and maximum of recorded micrometeorologic measurements collected at Grapevine
Springs ET site, September 28, 2000–November 3, 2002.
Figure 16. Continual ground-water-level,
periodic channel-discharge, and precipitation measurements taken at or near
Grapevine Springs ET site, September 27, 2000–November 4, 2002.
Figure 17. Computed and measured energy-budget
fluxes and measured ground-water level at Grapevine Springs ET site, September
24–October 3, 2003.
Figure 18. Daily evapotranspiration
and mean daily ground-water level at Grapevine Springs ET site, September 28,
2000–November 3, 2002.
Figure 19. Monthly evapotranspiration
(ET) and mean monthly ground-water level at Grapevine Springs ET site, October
2000–October 2002.
Figure 20. Ground-water level, daily
evapotranspiration (ET), daily change in ground-water level, and apparent specific
yield at the Grapevine Springs ET site, water year 2002.
Tables
Table 1. Technical specifications of
panchromatic and multi-spectral data acquired by IKONOS satellite.
Table 2. Satellite digital numbers and
measured percent reflectance for red and near-infrared IKONOS bands over the
white and black tarps used in image calibration.
Table 3. Description of ET units delineated
from multi-spectral IKONOS imagery in major spring-discharge areas along the
eastern margin of Death Valley.
Table 4. Acreage of ET units within
major spring-discharge areas of the Grapevine Springs imagery delineated using
a modified soil-adjusted vegetation index.
Table 5. Acreage of ET units within
major spring-discharge areas of the Furnace Creek imagery that were delineated
using a modified soil-adjusted vegetation index.
Table 6. Acreage of ET units within
major spring-discharge areas of the Grapevine Springs imagery delineated by
land-cover classification.
Table 7. Acreage of ET units in major
spring-discharge areas of the Furnace Creek imagery delineated by land-cover
classification.
Table 8. Location of data-collection
sites in Grapevine Springs area.
Table 9. List of equipment used to instrument
Grapevine Springs ET site.
Table 10. Periodic water levels measured
in shallow well at Grapevine Springs ET site.
Table 11. Periodic surface-water discharge
measured near Grapevine Springs ET site.
Table 12. Periodic bulk precipitation
measured at Grapevine Springs ET site.
Table 13. Evapotranspiration and ground-water
evapotranspiration calculated at Grapevine Springs ET site for three different
365-day periods.
Table 14. Estimated mean annual ground-water
discharge by evapotranspiration from major spring-discharge areas along the
eastern margin of Death Valley.
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Send questions or comments about this report to the author, R.J.
Laczniak, (702) 564-4603.
For more information about USGS activities in Nevada, visit the USGS
Nevada Water Science Center home page.
U.S.
Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological
Survey
