The effect of hydrogeological conditions on variability and dynamic of groundwater recharge in a carbonate aquifer at local scale

Dvory, Noam Zach; Livshitz, Yakov; Kuznetsov, M.; Adar, Eilon

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.02.011

Cited by 23 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…During the winter of 2014/15, the interval between major precipitations events exceeded 20 days, therefore, by Figure 7. Computed annual recharge of total and diffuse infiltration at the EK4, Sataf, and Matash sub-basins over the expected recharge range (grey) at the study area [32]. The recharge range is between fast flow paths along conduits and slow flow paths through the matrix.…”

Section: Implications For Groundwater Enrichment Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantification of Groundwater Recharge from an Ephemeral Stream into a Mountainous Karst Aquifer

Dvory

Ronen

Livshitz

et al. 2018

Water

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Sustainable groundwater production from karst aquifers is primarily dictated by its recharge rate. Therefore, it is essential to accurately quantify annual groundwater recharge in order to limit overexploitation and to evaluate artificial methods for groundwater enrichment. Infiltration during erratic flood events in karst basins may substantially contribute to aquifer recharge. However, the complicated nature of karst systems, which are characterized in part by multiple springs, sinkholes, and losing/gaining streams, impede accurate quantification of the actual contribution of flood waters to groundwater recharge. In this study, we aim to quantify the proportion of groundwater recharge accrued during runoff events in a karst aquifer. The role of karst conduits on flash flood infiltration was examined during four flood and controlled runoff events in the Soreq creek near Jerusalem, Israel. We distinguished between direct infiltration, percolation through karst conduits, and diffuse infiltration-the latter of which is most affected by evapotranspiration. A water balance was calculated for the 2014/15 hydrological year using the Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS). Simulations show that 6.8 to 19.2% of the annual recharge volume was added to the aquifer from infiltration of runoff losses along the creek through the karst system.

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Section: Implications For Groundwater Enrichment Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The general flow direction is westward. The flow characteristics in the unsaturated zone were described by [32,33], who demonstrated a source-response mechanism between precipitation and groundwater level. The vegetation in study area is defined as Maquis and forests [34].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of Groundwater Recharge from an Ephemeral Stream into a Mountainous Karst Aquifer

Dvory

Ronen

Livshitz

et al. 2018

Water

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“…In the absence of field data describing the dominant hydrological processes and functioning of a basin, it was often recommended to make use of the more readily accessible and measurably physical basin form (Savenije, 2010) and then to differentiate landscape units according to a hydrologically meaningful landscape classification metric to translate form into function (subject of the follow-up paper by Messerschmid et al, 2020). For the link between physical features and basin response, Eder et al (2003) and Hartmann et al (2013) suggested the use of so-called hydrological system signatures to describe emergent properties of a system -both quantitatively or qualitatively -such as flow duration curves or spring hydrographs.…”

Section: Global and Specific Problems In Distributed Recharge Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field-based estimation and modelling of distributed groundwater recharge in a Mediterranean karst catchment, Wadi Natuf, West Bank

Messerschmid

Sauter

Lange

2020

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. While groundwater recharge is one of the most prominently covered subjects in hydrogeology, the spatial distribution of recharge has been given relatively little attention, especially in semi-arid, karstic aquifers. Under conditions of highly diverse geology, relief, vegetation and land use, the complexity and variability of spatially distributed hydrological processes remains a challenge in many regions around the world. This is particularly true for hitherto ungauged basins, such as Wadi Natuf, a 103 km2 large karstic Eastern Mediterranean watershed in the Palestinian upstream mountain and recharge area of the Western Aquifer Basin (WAB), which is shared with Israel in the coastal plain. In this first in a series of two papers, distributed recharge is estimated and represented, based on 7 years of extensive field observations and measurements and based conceptually on observable physical landscape features such as geology, land use and land cover (LU/LC) and especially soil conditions. For the first time in the WAB, a forward calculated soil moisture and percolation model (SMSP) was set up with parameters directly gained from field observations. The model was parameterised in a strictly parsimonious manner, as a one-dimensional model (a.k.a. “tank”, bucket or box model). This is based on dominant hydrological processes, in particular saturation excess in the soil column, and identifying patterns of linkage between different landscape features. Average soil thickness was encountered at the range of decimetres, rarely above one metre. Both soil thickness and LU/LC features, such as terraced olive groves or forests as well as grassland or barren rock outcrops, were found to be highly formation specific. This linkage allowed us to further simplify the model and its requirements in a realistic manner for eight soil moisture stations, chosen at six different geological formations with typical soil and LU/LC representations. The main result of the model was the determination of formation-specific recharge coefficients, spatially ranging between 0 % and almost 60 % of annual rainfall or up to 300 mm a−1 in Wadi Natuf's climate. The karstified main aquifers showed recharge coefficients (RC) above 40 % and even the less prominent slightly aquitardal local aquifers reached RC values above 30 %. The model was separately tested on two conceptual levels: on the level of basin form (soil moisture) and basin response (signatures of peak recharge and local spring discharge events) under well-controlled conditions in isolated sub-catchments. In principle, our approach is applicable in many of the scarcely gauged karstic groundwater basins around the world with a highly diverse landscape and geology.

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“…Andreo et al, 2008) may provide more spatial detail, but have not yet been applied in the WAB. However, spatial characteristics of different lithologies, land forms and soil conditions are of outmost importance to actual recharge (Dvory, et al, 2016, Hartmann et al, 2012and Allocca et al, 2014. Such spatially differentiated recharge factors were applied by Andreo et al (2008) and Radulović et al (2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field-based groundwater recharge and leakage estimations in a semi-arid Eastern Mediterranean karst catchment, Wadi Natuf, West Bank

Messerschmid¹,

Lange²,

Sauter³

2018

Preprint

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15Groundwater recharge processes in semi-arid climates are highly sensitive to spatial and temporal variability (event precipitation). However, in previous research, the spatial distribution of recharge has received relatively little attention. This study differentiates recharge according to the following spatial characteristics: a) soil type and soil condition, b) land forms such as relief, vegetation and land use, 20and c) lithology and hydrogeological characteristics of the subsurface rock formation. For the first time, this paper analyses and quantifies the specific recharge in the different individual rock formations of the Western Aquifer Basin (WAB). The WAB is a large transboundary karst aquifer that stretches from sub-humid to semi-arid climates from the recharge area in the West Bank Mountains to the Mediterranean Coast. The assessment is based on actual field data, including soil moisture and 25spring discharge in Wadi Natuf, a 103 km 2 large sub-catchment in the West Bank slopes and mountain region, i.e. the recharge area of the WAB. A parsimonious soil moisture balance model was set up to calculate daily recharge rates from daily precipitation and evapotranspiration records over an extended period of 7 years (2003/04-2009/10). Unlike in most comparable studies, the simple but solid parsimonious soil moisture and percolation 30 model and the budget calculations were based on actual quantitative field-observations, in contrast to the generally applied model fitting and inverse calibration. The model's daily deep percolation rates were compared with soil moisture field-data and in addition, by comparing major event recharge depths with daily spring discharge response. This combination of modelling and intensive field measurements, comprising eight different soil mois-35 ture measurement stations in six different litho-facies formations allowed identifying and quantifying the recharge characteristics of each formation at high spatial resolution, which is a first in the Western Aquifer.We found that recharge varies widely at the spatial dimension, ranging between 0 % and almost 60 % of annual rainfall. The spatially variable long-term average recharge coefficients were applied to other 40 outcropping formations by a ranking procedure taking into account each of the three above spatial characteristics (landform, soil and geology). In addition to the recharge analysis, special emphasis was paid to the examination of the role of perched leaky aquifers positioned between the main regional Upper and Lower Aquifers. The particular geometry of the local aquifers, i.e. hills with well-defined aquifers, leaky aquitard bases and there-45 fore well-defined catchment areas, allowed the quantification of the flow budget. By measuring and budgeting spring group discharge of each leaky sub-aquifer, for the first time also leakage coefficients could be calculated empirically. The methodology of this study is also applicable to comparable catchments and aquifers outside the region. The resulting mean annual recharge coeff...

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The effect of hydrogeological conditions on variability and dynamic of groundwater recharge in a carbonate aquifer at local scale

Cited by 23 publications

References 42 publications

Quantification of Groundwater Recharge from an Ephemeral Stream into a Mountainous Karst Aquifer

Quantification of Groundwater Recharge from an Ephemeral Stream into a Mountainous Karst Aquifer

Field-based estimation and modelling of distributed groundwater recharge in a Mediterranean karst catchment, Wadi Natuf, West Bank

Field-based groundwater recharge and leakage estimations in a semi-arid Eastern Mediterranean karst catchment, Wadi Natuf, West Bank

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