Hydrogeological and isotope mapping of the karstic River Savica in NW Slovenia

Brenčič, Mihael; Vreča, Polona

doi:10.1007/s12665-016-5479-7

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Between 1997 and 2015 the discharge ranged between 0.04 and 113 m 3 /s, the mean discharge was 4.64 m 3 /s (ARSO, 2020a). There are several tributaries (e.g., Ukanška Suha stream as right tributary), but since they are mainly dry and function only as torrents, the two main springs contribute the majority to this discharge (Brenčič & Vreča, 2016). From the Bohinj Lake flows the Sava Bohinjka River, which is one of the two original branches of the Sava River, a tributary of the Danube River within the Black Sea basin.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unraveling the functioning of the vadose zone in alpine karst aquifers: New insights from a tracer test in the Migovec cave system (Julian alps, NW Slovenia)

Gabrovšek,

Blatnik,

Ravbar

et al. 2023

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The aquifers of alpine karst and high karst plateaus are abundant water resources. They are difficult to characterise due to their complex, partly glaciokarstic, evolution in active tectonic environments, and an unsaturated zone up to two kilometres thick. We present and discuss the results of a tracing test in the alpine karst of the Julian Alps (Slovenia), more precisely in the Migovec System, the longest cave system in Slovenia (length = 43 km, depth = 972 m). The cave extends below a mountain ridge that separates the Soča and Sava Valleys, thus forming a topographic divide between the Adriatic and Black Sea basins, which gives the test greater regional significance. In early September 2019, three kilograms of uranine were injected into a perched lake in a remote part of the system, approximately 900 metres below the plateau and 100 metres above the low water table. All known springs in the valleys on either side of the mountain were monitored by manual or instrumental sampling and a field fluorometer. Due to the unexpectedly dry season, no tracer was detected at any site for two months until a heavy rainfall event in early November. Subsequently, about 60-65 % of the tracer mass appeared within 60 hours in the Tolminka River. No tracer was detected at other sites, either becauseit was not present or because it was highly diluted. The study suggests that the lake containing the tracer is bypassed by the vadose flow and that the tracer was only mobilised during large events when the lake became part of the epihreatic flow. The linear peak flow velocity from the injection site to the Tolminka Spring was only about 1.7 m/h. However, assuming that the tracer was only mobilised by the large rain event, the velocity would be 70 m/h. The study highlights the challenges and pitfalls of water tracing in alpine karst systems and suggests ways to avoid them.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unraveling the functioning of the vadose zone in alpine karst aquifers: New insights from a tracer test in the Migovec cave system (Julian alps, NW Slovenia)

Gabrovšek,

Blatnik,

Ravbar

et al. 2023

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“…In our model, clay interlayers separate the small-scale upper aquifer from the underlying large-scale aquifer composed of a thick succession of Late Triassic limestones including the oolithic megabed. This large aquifer has predominantly unconfined characteristics, a thick vadose zone, and gathers rain and snowmelt waters towards the strong, low-altitude Savica spring (and others) that finally fill the large glacial Bohinj Lake in the Bohinj Valley (Trišič et al 1997;Brenčič & Vreča 2016). Like the large-scale aquifer below, the small upper aquifer of the JLL area is also karstic and feeds from local rainfall and snowmelt.…”

Section: Origin Of the Jezero V Ledvicah Lakementioning

confidence: 99%

“…At higher altitudes, springs are very rare and commonly connected to fault zones. The water from rainfall and snowmelt is drained vertically into relatively deep bodies of water that feed large karstic springs, such as the Soča, Boka, Tolminka, Savica and others (Trišič et al 1997;Janež 2002;Brenčič 2004;Petrič 2004;Brenčič & Vreča 2016). In such settings, prominent high-altitude lakes are not common, but several smallscale surface water accumulations exist.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origin of the Jezero v Ledvicah lake; a depression in a gutter-shaped karstic aquifer (Julian Alps, NW Slovenia)

Rožič

Popit²,

Gale³

et al. 2019

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Rožič: Origin of the Jezero v Ledvicah lake; a depression in a gutter-shaped karstic aquifer (Julian Alps, NW Slovenia) The Julian Alps are composed almost exclusively of Triassic to Lower Jurassic carbonates, which results in a karstified high-alpine landscape. In such settings, large water accumulations are not expected and precipitated water drains vertically, gathers in deep, large-scale aquifers, and outflows in large karstic springs located in deeply incised valleys. Some small lakes, however, exist in high alpine areas. Most commonly, they formed above impermeable glacial sediments and are generally characterized by stagnant waters. Jezero v Ledvicah lake, which is one of the seven lakes in the Triglav Lakes Valley, is an exception, because it shows high subaqueous water inflow and outflow and occurs among highly karstified and permeable carbonates. Combining previous research with our new, detailed geological mapping of the lake surroundings and sedimentary research on the Lower Jurassic strata, we propose a hydrogeological model with the aim of explaining the extraordinary behaviour of the lake. We propose that Jezero v Ledvicah lake: A) is part of the "guttershaped" aquifer with perched groundwater that is situated below the floor of the Triglav Lakes Valley; B) barriers of the aquifer are structural (faults and thrust) and stratigraphic (clay interlayers in Lower Jurassic limestone); C) the lake formed in a structural, hydrogeological and morphological depression within this aquifer; D) the groundwater of the aquifer is recharged not solely from the surface directly above the aquifer

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Application of Passive Capillary Samplers in Water Stable Isotope Investigations of Snowmelt – A Case Study From Slovenia

Vreča

Brenčič

Torkar

2018

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

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In this paper we describe the use of modified passive capillary samplers (PCSs) to investigate the water isotope variability of snowmelt at selected sites in Slovenia during winter 2011/2012 and during winter 2012/2013. First, PCS with 3 fibreglass wicks covering approximately 1 m 2 were tested to determine sample variability. We observed high variability in the amount of snowmelt water collected by individual wick (185 to 345 g) and in the isotope composition of oxygen (δ 18 O −10.43‰ to −9.02‰) and hydrogen (δ 2 H −70.5‰ to −63.6‰) of the collected water. Following the initial tests, a more detailed investigation was performed in winter 2012/2013 and the variability of snowmelt on the local scale among the different levels (i.e. within group, between the close and more distant groups of wicks) was investigated by applying 30 fibreglass wicks making use of Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) and a balanced hierarchical sampling design. The amount of snowmelt water collected by an individual wick during the whole experiment was between 116 and 1705 g, while the isotope composition varied from −16.32‰ to −12.86‰ for δ 18 O and from −120.2‰ to −82.5‰ for δ 2 H. The main source of variance (80%) stems from the variability within the group of wicks (e.g. within group) while other sources contribute less than 20% of the variability. Amount weighted samples for the 2012-2013 season show no significant differences among groups, but significant differences for particular sampling events were observed. These investigations show that due to the variability within the group of wicks, a large number of wicks (> 5) are needed to sample snowmelt.

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Hydrogeological and isotope mapping of the karstic River Savica in NW Slovenia

Cited by 4 publications

References 27 publications

Unraveling the functioning of the vadose zone in alpine karst aquifers: New insights from a tracer test in the Migovec cave system (Julian alps, NW Slovenia)

Unraveling the functioning of the vadose zone in alpine karst aquifers: New insights from a tracer test in the Migovec cave system (Julian alps, NW Slovenia)

Origin of the Jezero v Ledvicah lake; a depression in a gutter-shaped karstic aquifer (Julian Alps, NW Slovenia)

Application of Passive Capillary Samplers in Water Stable Isotope Investigations of Snowmelt – A Case Study From Slovenia

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