Modeling of groundwater flow using GMS in Zhengzhou Plain, China

Zhengzhou plain is located in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, the central China, where groundwater supplies for 70% of total water use. Extensive overexploitation of groundwater has resulted in significant groundwater level decline in the past decades. In order to evaluate available groundwater and predict the evolution of groundwater system and create sustainable schemes of groundwater development, a numerical model of groundwater flow for Quatemary aquifer systems in the plain was established using GMS. The modeling results show that total recharge was 589.80M m(3)/a and total discharge was 600.43 M m(3)/a for the modeling period, i.e. 10.63 M m(3)/a of groundwater storage was over drafted. Ten year predictions show that groundwater level would continuously decline in the area under current groundwater exploitation schemes.