Lake and groundwater paleohydrology: A groundwater model to explain past lake levels in west-central Minnesota

nvestigation of a simple analytic model of an interfluvial water table demonstrates that a shift in groundwater recharge N changes the water table elevation the most near the middle of the interfluve. The partial derivative of groundwater head with respect to N, the "positional sensitivity," is quantified for the simple model as a function of position across the interfluve.;Lake levels are also a function of surficial hydrology. "Lake pumping" is symbolized by ;The response of a lake level to a shift in climate depends on characteristics of surficial and groundwater hydrology that are unique to that lake. Determination of the past levels of several lakes, rather than just one, should help provide a more unique determination of past hydrology and climate. Analysis of the sediments of several closed-basin lakes lying in the Parkers Prairie sandplain in west-central Minnesota indicates that lake levels were lowest about 8.5 to 8 ka. I manipulate the the N and...