Abstract:Lička Jesenica is a sinking river situated in the Dinaric karst environment of the Lika region of Croatia. The two main karst springs, Veliko Vrelo and Malo Vrelo, provide the majority of Lička Jesenica's water. Because of the quality and abundance of the water they contain, these springs are strategically important to the public water supply. Previous knowledge regarding the springs`karst system has been negligible. Therefore, a bulk hydrogeological research program was conducted with the purposes of establishing protection zones and assessing the springs' water-supply potential. The research work comprised the following methods: hydrogeological mapping, setting up of monitoring stations for evaluating discharge and water quality, time series analyses (hydrograph-chemograph), hydrochemical analyses, and geophysical surveys. The main results and conclusions of the research include the following: (i) confirmation that both springs drain a common aquifer; (ii) determination of the highly vulnerable nature of the karst systems; (iii) identification of the Veliko Vrelo Spring's more direct connection to the aquiferdrainage system in comparison to the Malo Vrelo; (iv) estimation of the positions and depths of the springs`main feeding conduits; (v) confirmation of the extent of the geologically presumed catchment area; and (vi) finally, establishment of sanitary protection zones.
Vis Island is situated in southern Croatia. The island is mostly composed of karstified carbonate rocks and belongs to the Dinaric karst region, which is a locus typicus of karst landforms. Located far from the mainland, Vis island has maintained a successful water supply from its own karst aquifer for decades. Hydrogeological research has been undertaken to protect this excellent karst aquifer by establishing sanitary protection zones and to explore the possibility of increasing the pumping yield. New groundwater velocity data obtained via a tracer test were in accordance with the rock mass hydraulic conductivity calculated from previous pumping tests. The hydrochemical interpretation indicated several different phenomena, from carbonate and sulfate rock dissolution to seawater mixing with groundwater. A conceptual model of the island’s aquifer was improved, and two main catchments were delineated according to tracer test results, and connected with the geological setting, hydrochemical data, and new climatological insights. Such an approach is applicable for similar karst aquifers, in which topographic and hydrogeological divides usually do not coincide.
Intermittent and ephemeral streams (IRES) are responsible for transporting about half of the water on Earth’s surface. Their hydrological behavior is different in various landscapes. IRES are found more often in karst terrains than in any other regions, as a consequence of strong and direct interaction between groundwater and surface water. This paper presents a hydrogeological and hydrological analysis of the intermittent Čikola River and Spring catchment, which is located in deeply karstified and developed parts of the Dinaric karst in Croatia. Hydrological calculations determined that the catchment area covers approximately 300 km2 and very probably changes in accordance with rapid variations in groundwater level. The karst spring of the Čikola River is a cave, extracted for a public water supply with four drilled extraction wells. The results of the interrelated hydrological and hydrogeological analysis show interesting phenomena from an intermittent karst spring (cave) and its catchment, flowing downstream through a karst polje with several smaller confluences, then entering a karst canyon (where the river sinks during certain periods), and ending in an estuary before contributing to the larger Krka River. The research presented was based on water balance calculations, climatic and hydrological time series analyses, spring pumping tests, and thorough hydrogeological interpretation.
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