scholarly journals Quantitative and Qualitative Methods for the Characterization of Karst Springs (case study: Lorestan province, Zagros Mountain, Iran)

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Geravand ◽  
Seiyed Mossa Hosseini ◽  
Mehran Maghsoudi ◽  
Mojtaba Yamani
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Saturation Index ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Zagros Mountains ◽  
Discharge Data ◽  
Karst Springs

Abstract Karst groundwater resources in the Zagros Mountains are vital for supplying of different demands in the region which need to sustainable management and protection. Quantitative and qualitative characterization of karst aquifers in this region were understudied due to lack of site-specific logging-data and speleological investigations. In this study, a state-of-the-art of the statistical methods developed to characterize karst aquifer based on analyses of the spring recession hydrograph and spring water quality are presented. These methods including Manging’s method for classification of karst aquifers, relationships of precipitation and discharge data, groundwater quality index (GQI), hydrochemical diagrams (Piper, Durov and Gibbs), and Saturation index (SI), Chloro-Alkaline indices (CAI). 42 major karst springs mainly located in folded part of Zagros region (western Iran) are selected for application of the reviewed methods. Results indicated that the saturated zone exerts almost main control over the discharge of 76% of the studied springs. The base-flow contributes as between 80.0% to 100% of total water storage in the study aquifers. 78.5% of the studied aquifers have a high karstification degree. An insignificant lag-time is observed between the precipitation on the karst basin and spring discharge. The hydrochemical diagrams show that the waters are dominated by HCO3 and Ca and the majority of the waters are alkaline, with originate from silicate minerals weathering. Such repeatable methods adopted in this study can provide crucial information of the karst aquifers, especially those suffer scarcity of aquifer hydrodynamic data.

scholarly journals Marble Slurry’s Impact on Groundwater: The Case Study of the Apuan Alps Karst Aquifers

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 2462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Piccini ◽  
Tiziana Di Lorenzo ◽  
Pilario Costagliola ◽  
Diana Maria Paola Galassi
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Runoff Water ◽  
Karst Springs ◽  
Ornamental Stones ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Apuan Alps

Modern sawing techniques employed in ornamental stones’ exploitation produce large amounts of slurry that can be potentially diffused into the environment by runoff water. Slurry produced by limestone and marble quarrying can impact local karst aquifers, negatively affecting the groundwater quality and generating a remarkable environmental and economic damage. A very representative case-study is that of the Apuan Alps (north-western Tuscany, Italy) because of the intensive marble quarrying activity. The Apuan Alps region extends over about 650 km2; it hosts several quarries, known all over the world for the quality of the marble extracted, and a karst aquifer producing about 70,000 m3/day of high-quality water used directly for domestic purposes almost without treatments. In addition, Apuan Alps are an extraordinary area of natural and cultural heritage hosting many caves (about 1200), karst springs and geosites of international and national interest. During intense rain events, carbonate slurry systematically reaches the karst springs, making them temporarily unsuitable for domestic uses. In addition, the deterioration of the water quality threatens all the hypogean fauna living in the caves. This paper provides preliminary insights of the hydrological and biological indicators that can offer information about the impact of the marble quarrying activities on groundwater resources, karst habitats and their biodiversity.

scholarly journals Characterization of the hydrodynamic functioning of the Degracias-Sicó Karst Aquifer, Portugal

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 2613-2629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Paiva ◽  
Lúcio Cunha
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
Integrated Research ◽  
Natural Response ◽  
Heavy Rainfall Events

Abstract A study on the complex processes of hydrogeological transformation of recharge into discharge within a karst system is described. Given the absence of boreholes or points of direct observation, the applied methodology is based on study of the natural response of the main outlet of the karst aquifer, considered here as a black-box. Time series analysis and recession curve analysis are applied to daily time series of rainfall as input, and spring discharge as the output of the aquifer. Daily variations of temperature and electrical conductivity of spring water are considered as well. The present study, an integrated research endeavor, is the first quantitative approach toward understanding the hydrogeological functioning of a large and not-well-known karst aquifer and improving existing knowledge about its internal physical characteristics. The case study is the Degracias-Sicó karst aquifer, in Portugal’s central-western region, which is relatively unknown from the hydrogeological perspective. The response of the karst aquifer’s main spring shows an important component of quick flow after heavy rainfall events and then a very slow recession. This bimodal behavior is proof of the significant spatial complexity and heterogeneity of the karst aquifer, marked by the presence of a conduit-dominated flow throughout a connected conduit network system and the dominance of base flow that confirms the aquifer’s large storage capacity. The results also demonstrate a significant component of delayed flow.

A comparison of emerging contaminant fingerprinting techniques to assess the impact of human wastewater on karst groundwater quality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luka Vucinic ◽  
David O'Connell ◽  
Donata Dubber ◽  
Patrice Behan ◽  
Quentin Crowley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Effluent ◽  
Chemical Pollution ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Karst Springs ◽  
Aquifer Systems ◽  
Pollution Impacts ◽  
The Impact

<p>Lowland karst aquifers in Ireland are extremely complex to understand and are considered to be highly vulnerable to pollution (e.g. low-lying karst catchments exhibit a lot of surface water – groundwater interactions which makes them very susceptible to direct contamination). These aquifers are impacted by multiple contamination sources on land (in particular, rural sources from agriculture and on-site domestic wastewater effluent) which makes their protection and management challenging. Human wastewater effluent is identified as significant threat to groundwater quality in such lowland Irish karst environments, since approximately one-third of the population in Ireland is relying on decentralized wastewater treatment systems for the treatment of domestic wastewater. However, it is difficult to distinguish between human wastewater effluent and agricultural pollution impacts on karst aquifers using only traditional water quality parameters or any single environmental tracing method. Hence, the impact of microbial and chemical contaminants of human wastewater origin on groundwater quality must be assessed using a multiple-tracer approach, ideally targeting source-specific tracers. This paper presents an overview of the results obtained during the research conducted throughout the last several years at nine karst catchments in Ireland using a range of methodologies in order to determine and quantify domestic wastewater pollution impacts on karst springs. Microbial pollution was assessed using flow cytometric fingerprinting and faecal indicator bacteria, while chemical pollution impact assessment included the analysis of fluorescent whitening compounds (FWCs; well-known indicators of human contamination since their origin is mostly from laundry detergents), specific anion ratio signatures (Cl/Br), quantification and identification of microplastic particles using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and faecal sterol and stanol profiles and ratios. A thorough analysis of the results obtained using a multiple-tracer approach has been conducted and methodologies have been evaluated in terms of applicability and sensitivity in a range of different karst catchments. The ability of these methodologies and techniques to determine and quantify human faecal pollution impacts on karst springs will be discussed. The results show a significant correlation between microplastic particle counts and detected FWCs signals at different springs, which helps to understand the contribution of household-derived contaminants to this environmental problem. Moreover, our results indicate that faecal sterols and stanols can be useful faecal source tracking method in karst aquifer systems despite the fact that concentrations of sterols and stanols of interest were usually low which makes the interpretation of results challenging.</p>

scholarly journals Enhanced Characterization of the Krania–Elassona Structure and Functioning Allogenic Karst Aquifer in Central Greece

Geosciences ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonios Manakos ◽  
Maria Ntona ◽  
Nerantzis Kazakis ◽  
Konstantinos Chalikakis
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Moving Average ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Groundwater Vulnerability ◽  
Spring Water ◽  
Geological Mapping ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Water Type ◽  
Central Greece

The present study highlights the importance of geological, hydrogeological, and hydrogeochemical characterization of a karst aquifer in building a conceptual model of the system. The karst system of Krania–Elassona in central Greece was chosen for this application. Hydrogeological research included geological mapping and hydrogeological analysis. Additionally, hydrochemical analysis of water samples was performed in boreholes, rivers, and the system’s main spring. The Krania–Elassona aquifer consists of three horizons of marbles and is characterized by mature karstification. The karst aquifer is characterized by allogenic recharge mainly from the River Deskatis that accounts for up to 92% of the total flow. Groundwater and spring water are generally characterized as good quality and are suitable for irrigation and domestic use. The water type of the spring water is classified as Mg-HCO3. The application of a SARIMA (Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model) model verified the conceptual model and successfully simulated spring discharge for a two-year period. The results of this study highlight the importance of basic hydrogeological research and the initial conceptualization of karst systems in reliably assessing groundwater vulnerability and modeling.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Duwet Karst Spring Based on Baseflow Index Assessment and its Potential in Fresh Water Supply

GeoEco ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Pipit Wijayanti ◽  
Rita Noviani
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Discharge Data ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Water Level Data ◽  
Total Base

<p><em>This study aims to determine the potential of Duwet springs and their availability for supplying fresh water to the surrounding community. we use hydrographs to analyze aquifer characteristics. To analyze the hydrographs, we use water level and spring discharge data. Automatic Water Level Record (AWLR) records water level data for 1 dry season and 1 rainy season every 15 minutes. We use the volumetric method to measure the spring discharge 14 times. We compare the base flow and demand over a year to analyze the potential for fresh water. The results show that the Stage discharge rating curve y = 0.0002e5,453x with R² value of 0.87. Duwet Springs is a perennial spring that has a small discharge (class VI). The largest discharge ever recorded was 0.69 L/s (March 7, 2020) and the smallest recorded was 0.12 L/s (August 21, 2020). BFI value varied between 0.05 and 1 with mean 0.801. The total base flow is 2490675.734 L (rainy season) and 1563419.873 L (dry season). These springs are sufficient for 75% of the rainy season and 84% in the dry season. This indicates that the existence of Duwet springs is very important for the surrounding community.</em></p>

scholarly journals Analisis MRC untuk Karakterisasi Akuifer Karst di Mataair Mudal, Kabupaten Kuloprogo

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Afid Nurkholis ◽  
Tjahyo Nugroho Adji ◽  
Eko Haryono ◽  
Ahmad Cahyadi ◽  
Wisnu Agung Waskito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Diffuse Type ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Time To Peak ◽  
Recession Curve ◽  
Master Recession Curve ◽  
Discharge Regime ◽  
Karstification Degree

Akuifer karst memiliki triple porosity yang membuat karakterisasinya sulit dilakukan. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah menganalisis komponen hidrograf banjir dan membuat Master Recession Curve (MRC) pada akuifer karst yang mengimbuh Mataair Mudal. Data yang digunakan adalah debit aliran dan curah hujan yang tercatat setiap 30 menit pada November 2017 hingga Mei 2018 (6 bulan). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Mataair Mudal memiliki complex discharge regime dengan derajat karstifikasi pada kelas 5,5. Analisis komponen hidrograf banjir menguatkan hasil perhitungan derajat karstifikasi. Waktu menuju puncak banjir (Tlag) yang tergolong cepat (2,5 jam) menunjukkan telah adanya aliran conduit. Perhitungan waktu menuju aliran dasar (Tb) baik secara manual (hidrograf banjir) maupun automatis (MRC) memiliki rerata sekitar 40 jam yang mencerminkan bahwa akuifer karst yang mengimbunya masih baik dalam menyimpan airtanah. Secara keseluruhan, akuifer karst di Mataair Mudal masih didominasi oleh retakan bertipe diffuse, meskipun sudah memiliki retakan bertipe conduit yang cukup berkembangThe objective of this research was to analyze the nature of the flood hydrograph components and create a Master Recession Curve (MRC) to estimate the degree of karstification in Mudal Spring. Discharge and rainfall data were recorded every 30 minutes at time intervals between November 2017 and May 2018. The results show that Mudal Spring has a complex discharge regime with a karstification degree in the class of 5.5. Meanwhile, the time to peak flood (Tlag) which is relatively fast (2.5 hours) shows the existence of conduit flow in the flood event. Calculation of time to baseflow (Tb) has an average of 40 hours which reflects that the karst aquifer was still good in storing groundwater. Overall, karst aquifers in Mudal Spring are still dominated by diffuse type voids, although they already have conduit type voids that are quite developed.

scholarly journals Hydrodynamic Characterization of Mugla Karst Aquifer Using Correlation and Spectral Analyses on the Rainfall and Springs Water-Level Time Series

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Çağdaş Sağır ◽  
Bedri Kurtuluş ◽  
Moumtaz Razack
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Spectral Analyses ◽  
Aquifer System

Karst aquifers have been an important research topic for hydrologists for years. Due to their high storage capacity, karst aquifers are an important source of water for the environment. On the other hand, it is safety-critical because of its role in floods. Mugla Karst Aquifer (SW, Turkey) is the only major water-bearing formation in the close environs of Mugla city. Flooding in the wet season occurs every year in the recharge plains. The aquifer discharges by the seaside springs in the Akyaka district which is the main touristic point of interest in the area. Non-porous irregular internal structures make the karsts more difficult to study. Therefore, many different methodologies have been developed over the years. In this study, unit hydrograph analysis, correlation and spectral analyses were applied on the rainfall and spring water-level time series data. Although advanced karst formations can be seen on the surface like the sinkholes, it has been revealed that the interior structure is not highly karstified. 100–130 days of regulation time was found. This shows that the Mugla Karst has quite inertial behavior. Yet, the storage of the aquifer system is quite high, and the late infiltration effect caused by alluvium plains was detected. This characterization of the hydrodynamic properties of the Mugla karst system represents an important step to consider the rational exploitation of its water resources in the near future.

scholarly journals Responses of Spring Discharge to Different Rainfall Events for Single-Conduit Karst Aquifers in Western Hunan Province, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5775
Author(s):  
Wei Chang ◽  
Junwei Wan ◽  
Jiahua Tan ◽  
Zongxing Wang ◽  
Cong Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Hunan Province ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Karst Spring ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Hydrogeological Characteristics ◽  
Western Hunan

It is a challenge to describe the hydrogeological characteristics of karst aquifers due to the complex structure with extremely high heterogeneity. As the response of karst aquifers to rainfall events, spring discharge variations after precipitation can be used to identify the internal structure of karst systems. In this study, responses of spring discharge to different kinds of precipitations are investigated by continuously monitoring precipitation and karst spring flow at a single-conduit karst aquifer in western Hunan province, China. Recession curves were used to analyze hydrodynamic behaviors and separate recession stages. The results show that the shape of the recession curve was changed under different rainfall conditions. Recession processes can be divided in to three recession stages under heavy rain conditions due to water drainage mainly from conduits, fracture, and matrix at each stage, but only one recession stage representing drainage mainly from matrix in the case of light rain. With the change in amount and intensity of precipitation, the calculated recession coefficient at each stage changes in an order of magnitude. The influence of precipitation on the recharge coefficient and the discharge composition at each recession are discussed, and then the conceptual model diagram of water filling and releasing in the single-conduit karst aquifers is concluded. The findings provide more insight understand on hydraulic behaviors of karst spring under different types of rainfall events and provide support for water resource management in karst regions.

scholarly journals Estimating annual groundwater recharge coefficient for karst aquifers of the southern Apennines (Italy)

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 803-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Allocca ◽  
F. Manna ◽  
P. De Vita
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Southern Apennines ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Groundwater Outflow

Abstract. To assess the mean annual groundwater recharge of the karst aquifers in the southern Apennines (Italy), the estimation of the mean annual groundwater recharge coefficient (AGRC) was conducted by means of an integrated approach based on hydrogeological, hydrological, geomorphological, land use and soil cover analyses. Starting from the hydrological budget equation, the coefficient was conceived as the ratio between the net groundwater outflow and the precipitation minus actual evapotranspiration (P − ETR) for a karst aquifer. A large part of the southern Apennines, which is covered by a meteorological network containing 40 principal karst aquifers, was studied. Using precipitation and air temperature time series gathered through monitoring stations operating in the period 1926–2012, the mean annual P − ETR was estimated, and its distribution was modelled at a regional scale by considering the orographic barrier and rain shadow effects of the Apennine chain, as well as the altitudinal control. Four sample karst aquifers with available long spring discharge time series were identified for estimating the AGRC. The resulting values were correlated with other parameters that control groundwater recharge, such as the extension of outcropping karst rocks, morphological settings, land use and covering soil type. A multiple linear regression between the AGRC, lithology and the summit plateau and endorheic areas was found. This empirical model was used to assess the AGRC and mean annual groundwater recharge in other regional karst aquifers. The coefficient was calculated as ranging between 50 and 79%, thus being comparable with other similar estimations carried out for karst aquifers of European and Mediterranean countries. The mean annual groundwater recharge for karst aquifers of the southern Apennines was assessed by these characterizations and validated by a comparison with available groundwater outflow measurements. These results represent a deeper understanding of an aspect of groundwater hydrology in karst aquifers which is fundamental for the formulation of appropriate management models of groundwater resources at a regional scale, also taking into account mitigation strategies for climate change impacts. Finally, the proposed hydrological characterizations are also supposed to be useful for the assessment of mean annual runoff over carbonate mountains, which is another important topic concerning water management in the southern Apennines.

scholarly journals Utilizing Precipitation and Spring Discharge Data to Identify Groundwater Quick Flow Belts in a Karst Spring Catchment

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2057-2068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lixing An ◽  
Xingyuan Ren ◽  
Yonghong Hao ◽  
Tian-Chyi Jim Yeh ◽  
Baoju Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Response Time ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Karst Groundwater ◽  
Karst Spring ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Discharge Data ◽  
Spring Catchment ◽  
Hydraulic Response

Abstract In karst terrains, fractures and conduits often occur in clusters, forming groundwater quick flow belts, which are the major passages of groundwater and solute transport. We propose a cost-effective method that utilizes precipitation and spring discharge data to identify groundwater quick flow belts by the multitaper method (MTM). In this paper, hydrological processes were regarded as the transformation of precipitation signals to spring discharge signals in a karst spring catchment. During the processes, karst aquifers played the role of signal filters. Only those signals with high energy could penetrate through aquifers and reflect in the spring discharge, while other weak signals were filtered out or altered by aquifers. Hence, MTM was applied to detect and reconstruct the signals that penetrate through aquifers. Subsequently, by analyzing the reconstructed signals of precipitation with those of spring discharge, we acquired the hydraulic response time and identified the quick flow belts. Finally, the methods were applied to the Niangziguan Spring (NS) catchment, China. Results showed that the hydraulic response time of the spring discharge to precipitation was 3 months at Pingding County; 4 months at Yuxian County, Yangquan City, Xiyang County, and Heshun County; and 27 months at Shouyang County and Zouquan County. These results suggested that Pingding County is located at a groundwater quick flow belt, which is a major passage of groundwater and contaminants, in the NS catchment. This is important since Pingding County is not only the key development area of karst groundwater but also the key conservation area for sustainable development of karst groundwater resources in NS catchment.

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