scholarly journals Freshening of a Coastal Karst Aquifer Revealed by the Temporal Changes in a Spring Water Composition (La Palme, Southern France)

Hydrology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Christophe Monnin ◽  
Joseph Tamborski ◽  
Simon Bejannin ◽  
Marc Souhaut ◽  
Manon Roques ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Extreme Values ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Spring Water ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Co2 Partial Pressure ◽  
Element Concentrations ◽  
Water Composition ◽  
Coastal Karst

Coastal karst aquifers are vulnerable to sea level rise and seawater intrusion. Knowledge of aquifer hydrological characteristics is therefore essential to managing this water resource. Long-term aquifer monitoring may not always be possible, especially in areas that humans frequent for recreational purposes. However, hydrological information can be deduced from the chemical composition of periodically sampled groundwaters. We characterized the complete chemical composition (temperature, pH, salinity, ORP, O2, Na-K-Ca-Mg-Ba-Sr-Si-Cl-SO4-DIC, and DOC) of a brackish karstic spring located along the French Mediterranean coast (La Palme). The salinity of the spring water varied between 4 and 9 during the 2.5 year period of observation. Chemical analyses revealed that the spring is modified from modern seawater, as shown by Na-normalized dissolved element concentrations. Thermodynamic calculations of mineral saturation states (PHREEQC) point to aragonite and barite saturation and elevated equilibrium CO2 partial pressure. The simultaneous salinity minima and oxygen maxima coincide with extreme values of dissolved element concentrations. This indicates that variation in salinity and water chemistry in La Palme coastal aquifer is primarily driven by infiltration of fresh rainwater. This study shows that geochemical investigations can provide an alternative approach to characterizing the hydrological properties of coastal karst aquifers when wells or boreholes are not readily available.

scholarly journals Spatial and Temporal Variation of Rainwater Chemistry in Ile-Ife and Its Environ, Osun State, Nigeria

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aderonke Adetutu Okoya ◽  
Bamikole Walter Osungbemiro ◽  
Temi E. Ologunorisa
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Temporal Variation ◽  
Major Ions ◽  
Rain Water ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Rainwater Chemistry ◽  
Water Composition ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
The Impact

The study of the chemical composition of rain water was conducted in Ile – Ife and environs, an agrarian, commercial, residential and semi-industrialised center of Osun state Nigeria. This was with a view to assessing the impact of land use activities on rain water composition and the temporal variation of rainwater chemistry. Physico-chemical parameters such as Turbidity, pH, TDS, Conductivity, Oxygen parameters, Alkalinity, Acidity, Hardness and Major ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+, NO3-, SO4-, HCO3-) were determined, predominant ions were identified. Turbidity, pH, Conductivity, TDS, D.O B.O.D, Alkalinity, Acidity Hardness ranged between 2.90 - 42.84 NTU, 5.65 - 7.40, 6.71 – 122.33 µScm-1, 4.10 –73.27 mg/L, 3.60 – 10.60 mg/L, 0.13 – 7.20 mg/L, 0.33 – 22.0 mg/L, 2.00 – 15.00 mg/L, 0.04 – 1.23 CaCO3mg/l respectively. The dominant ions detected in the study were HCO3-, Mg2+, Na+ and Ca2+. Generally, the mean concentration of ions as expressed in milli-equivalent per Litre showed order of dominance as HCO3- > NO3- > SO42- for the anions and Mg2+ > Na+ > Ca2+ > K+ for cations. The study concluded that land use activities had influence on all the chemical composition of rain water in the study area but more on pH, alkalinity, acidity, bicarbonate. Except sulphate and Nitrate, all other parameters recorded high values in dry season.

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 Spatial Differences in the Chemical Composition of Surface Water in the Hornsund Fjord Area: A Statistical Analysis with A Focus on Local Pollution Sources

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 496
Author(s):  
Krystyna Koziol ◽  
Marek Ruman ◽  
Filip Pawlak ◽  
Stanisław Chmiel ◽  
Żaneta Polkowska
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Pollution Transport ◽  
Local Pollution ◽  
Water Composition ◽  
Spatial Differences

Surface catchments in Svalbard are sensitive to external pollution, and yet what is frequently considered external contamination may originate from local sources and natural processes. In this work, we analyze the chemical composition of surface waters in the catchments surrounding the Polish Polar Station in Svalbard, Hornsund fjord area. We have pooled unpublished and already published data describing surface water composition in 2010, related to its pH, electrical conductivity (EC), metals and metalloids, total organic carbon (TOC) and selected organic compound concentrations, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and surfactants. These data were statistically analyzed for spatial differences, using Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA), with distance from the station in the PCA approximating local human activity impact. The geological composition of the substratum was found to be a strong determinant of metal and metalloid concentrations, sufficient to explain significant differences between the studied water bodies, except for the concentration of Cr. The past and present human activity in the area may have contributed also to some of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), although only in the case of naphthalene can such an effect be confirmed by an inverse correlation with distance from the station. Other likely factors contributing to the chemical concentrations in the local waters are marine influence, long-range pollution transport and release from past deposition in the environment.

scholarly journals The possible negative consequences of underground dam and reservoir construction and operation in coastal karst areas: an example of the hydro-electric power plant (HEPP) Ombla near Dubrovnik (Croatia)

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2041-2052 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Roje-Bonacci ◽  
O. Bonacci
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Electric Power ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Grout Curtain ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Karst Spring ◽  
Coastal Karst ◽  
Underground Dam ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Annual Discharge

Abstract. The Ombla Spring represents a typical abundant coastal karst spring located in the vicinity of the town of Dubrovnik (Croatia). Its outlet is at an altitude of 2.5 m above sea level (m a.s.l.) and the water from it immediately flows into the Adriatic Sea. The minimum and maximum measured discharges are 3.96 m3 s−1 and 117 m3 s−1, respectively. The Trebišnjica River traverses through its catchment. The mean annual discharge, after the canalization of over 60 km of its watercourse with spray concrete (in the time span 1981–2011), is 24.05 m3 s−1. Before massive civil engineering work which took place during 1968–1980, the mean annual discharge was 28.35 m3 s−1. There is a project for construction of the hydro-electric power plant (HEPP) Ombla, which will exclusively use groundwater from the Ombla Spring karst aquifer. The underground dam will be constructed about 200 m behind the existing karst spring outflow in the karst massif, by injecting a grout curtain. The top of the grout curtain is planned to be at an altitude of 130 m a.s.l. This karst system is complex, sensitive, vulnerable and ecologically extremely valuable. The grout curtain, as well as the HEPP Ombla development, could lead to extremely dangerous technical and environmental consequences. In this paper some probable, negative consequences of the HEPP Ombla construction and development are explained. The HEPP Ombla could result in many large and hard-to-predict negative consequences which are specific for this particular HEPP, for example (1) severe spring discharge change; (2) unpredictable regional groundwater redistribution; (3) threatening of endemic fauna; (4) induced seismicity; (5) induced sinkholes; (6) occurrence of landslides; (7) conflict regarding internationally shared karst aquifers; (8) intensification of karst flash floods; (9) sea water intrusion in coastal karst aquifer; etc.

Submarine springs and coastal karst aquifers: A review

2007 ◽  
Vol 339 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 79-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perrine Fleury ◽  
Michel Bakalowicz ◽  
Ghislain de Marsily
Keyword(s):  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Submarine Springs ◽  
Coastal Karst

scholarly journals A ConvLSTM Conjunction Model for Groundwater Level Forecasting in a Karst Aquifer Considering Connectivity Characteristics

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 2759
Author(s):  
Fei Guo ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Hu Li ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
Zhuo Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Groundwater Level ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Spatial Distance ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
The Real ◽  
Hydrogeological Characteristics

Groundwater is an important water resource, and groundwater level (GWL) forecasting is a useful tool for supporting the sustainable management of water resources. Existing studies have shown that GWLs can be accurately predicted by combining an artificial neural network model with meteorological and hydrological factors. However, GWL data are typically geographic spatiotemporal series data, and current studies have considered only the spatial distance factor when predicting GWLs. In karst aquifers, the GWL is affected by the developmental degree of the karst, topographic factors, structural features, and other factors; considering only the spatial distance is not enough, and the real spatial connectivity characteristics need to be considered. Thus, in this paper, we proposed a new method for forecasting GWLs in karst aquifers while considering connectivity characteristics using a neural network prediction model. The connectivity of a karst aquifer was analyzed by a multidimensional feature clustering method based on the distance index and hydrogeological characteristics recorded at observation wells, and a convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM) conjunction model was constructed. The proposed approach was validated through GWL simulations and predictions in karst aquifers in Jinan, China, and four experiments were conducted for comparison. The experimental results show that the proposed method provided the most consistent results with the measured observation well data among the analyzed methods. These findings demonstrate that the proposed method, which considers connectivity characteristics in karst aquifers, has a higher simulation accuracy than other methods. This method is therefore effective and provides a new idea for the real-time prediction of the GWLs of karst aquifers.

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