scholarly journals Estimating annual effective infiltration coefficient and groundwater recharge for karst aquifers of the southern Apennines

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 10127-10159 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Allocca ◽  
F. Manna ◽  
P. De Vita
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Southern Apennines ◽  
Correlation Relationship ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
The Mean

Abstract. To assess the mean annual groundwater recharge of the karst aquifers in southern Apennines (Italy), the estimation of the mean annual effective infiltration coefficient (AEIC) was conducted by means of an integrated approach based on hydrogeological, hydrological, geomorphological, land use and soil cover analyses. We studied a large part of the southern Apennines that is covered by a meteorological network and containing 40 principal karst aquifers. Using precipitation and air temperature time series gathered through monitoring stations operating in the period 1926–2012, the annual effective precipitation (AEP) was estimated, and its distribution was modelled, by considering the orographic barrier and rain shadow effects of the Apennines chain, as well as the altitudinal control. Four sample karst aquifers with available long spring discharge time series were identified for estimating the AEIC by means of the hydrological budget equation. The resulting AEIC values were correlated with other parameters that control groundwater recharge, such as the extension of outcropping karst-rock, morphological settings, land use and covering soil type. A simple correlation relationship between AEIC, lithology and the summit flat and endorheic areas was found. This empirical model has been used to estimate AEIC and mean annual groundwater recharge in other regional karst aquifers. The estimated AEIC values ranged between 48% and 78%, thus matching intervals estimated for other karst aquifers in European and Mediterranean countries. 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, also taking into account mitigation strategies for climate change impacts. Finally, the proposed hydrological characterisations are also perceived as 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 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 Testing Evapotranspiration Estimates Based on MODIS Satellite Data in the Assessment of the Groundwater Recharge of Karst Aquifers in Southern Italy

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
Giovanni Ruggieri ◽  
Vincenzo Allocca ◽  
Flavio Borfecchia ◽  
Delia Cusano ◽  
Palmira Marsiglia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Actual Evapotranspiration ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Southern Apennines ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Empirical Formulas

In many Italian regions, and particularly in southern Italy, karst aquifers are the main sources of drinking water and play a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the territory. Hence, estimating the groundwater recharge of these aquifers is a fundamental task for the proper management of water resources, while also considering the impacts of climate changes. In the southern Apennines, the assessment of hydrological parameters that is needed for the estimation of groundwater recharge is a challenging issue, especially for the spatial and temporal inhomogeneity of networks of rain and air temperature stations, as well as the variable geomorphological features and land use across mountainous karst areas. In such a framework, the integration of terrestrial and remotely sensed data is a promising approach to limit these uncertainties. In this research, estimations of actual evapotranspiration and groundwater recharge using remotely sensed data gathered by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) satellite in the period 2000–2014 are shown for karst aquifers of the southern Apennines. To assess the uncertainties affecting conventional methods based on empirical formulas, the values estimated by the MODIS dataset were compared with those calculated by Coutagne, Turc, and Thornthwaite classical empirical formulas, which were based on the recordings of meteorological stations. The annual rainfall time series of 266 rain gauges and 150 air temperature stations, recorded using meteorological networks managed by public agencies in the period 2000–2014, were considered for reconstructing the regional distributed models of actual evapotranspiration (AET) and groundwater recharge. Considering the MODIS AET, the mean annual groundwater recharge for karst aquifers was estimated to be about 448 mm·year−1. In contrast, using the Turc, Coutagne, and Thornthwaite methods, it was estimated as being 494, 533, and 437 mm·year−1, respectively. The obtained results open a new methodological perspective for the assessment of the groundwater recharge of karst aquifers at the regional and mean annual scales, allowing for limiting uncertainties and taking into account a spatial resolution greater than that of the existing meteorological networks. Among the most relevant results obtained via the comparison of classical approaches used for estimating evapotranspiration is the good matching of the actual evapotranspiration estimated using MODIS data with the potential evapotranspiration estimated using the Thornthwaite formula. This result was considered linked to the availability of soil moisture for the evapotranspiration demand due to the relevant precipitation in the area, the general occurrence of soils covering karst aquifers, and the dense vegetation.

scholarly journals Effect of Land Use/Land Cover Change on Groundwater Recharge in Osun Drainage Basin, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-394
Author(s):  
E. D. Ashaolu ◽  
J. F. Olorunfemi ◽  
I. P. Ifabiyi
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Land Cover Change ◽  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Land Development ◽  
Land Use Land Cover ◽  
Rock Outcrops ◽  
Groundwater System

Osun drainage basin is one of the regions in Nigeria experiencing increasing population growth and rapid urbanization; and about 70% of the inhabitantsrely on shallow groundwater resources of the region. Change in land use/land cover is one of the significant factors controlling regional hydrology and groundwater resources, thus the continuous change in land use and land cover of the drainage basin will significantly affect the basin’s groundwater resources. There are 7 classified land use/land cover in the study area which are bare surfaces, built up area, crops/shrubs, forest, rock outcrops, water bodies and wetland. Applying WetSpass-M hydrological model, we predicted the effect of land use/land cover change on the groundwater recharge in Osun drainage basin, Nigeria between 1984-2015. The results revealed that the highest groundwater recharge of 48.56%, 33.64% and 37.29% occurred in forested area in 1984, 2000 and 2015, respectively. This result might be due to the influence of vegetation in slowing down the speed of running water across the forest area, that allows more infiltration and deep percolation into the water table to recharge the groundwater system. On the other hand, the least groundwater recharge of the total annual was on the rock outcrops, which are about 4% in 1984, 3% in 2000 and 2% in 2015. The least recharge found on rock outcrops is expected and may be attributed to the fact that infiltration can only occur around or on decomposed rock outcrop, which may result in minute recharge to the groundwater system. The mean annual groundwater recharge of the basin for the land use/land cover of 1984, 2000 and 2015 are476.54, 411.07 and 430.06 mm/y, respectively. Overall, for the 32 years period of investigation, change in land use/land cover accounts for only 10% reduction in mean groundwater recharge occurrence between 1984 and 2015. Also, there is a change in recharge pattern in the study area during this period because most often, change in land use/land cover is a transition from one land use/land cover class to another, and the recharge pattern is influenced based on the degree of transition that took place and the characteristics of the dominant land use/land cover at a particular area of the basin. Although, the 10% reduction in mean annual recharge appears minute, this might become pronounced if the current rate of deforestation in the drainage basin continues unabated. Therefore, proper land use allocation, regulated land development and afforestation in terms of planting of native trees that were lost through anthropogenic activities in the basin should be policy option for groundwater sustainability.

scholarly journals CONTRIBUTION OF SEASONAL STOCHASTIC MODELS SARIMA TO THE RATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT. THE CASE OF THE KRANIA ELASSONA KARST SYSTEM, THESSALY, GREECE

2004 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 2012
Author(s):  
A. Μανάκος ◽  
Γ. Δημόπουλος
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Stochastic Model ◽  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Stochastic Models ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Karst System ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Discharge Time ◽  
Monthly Discharge

Several stochastic models, known as Box and Jenkins or SARIMA (Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average) have been used in the past for forecasting hydrological time series in general and stream flow or spring discharge time series in particular. SARIMA models became very popular because of their simple mathematical structure, convenient representation of data in terms of a relatively small number of parameters and their applicability to stationary as well as nonstationary process.Application of the seasonal stochastic model SARIMA to the spring's monthly discharge time series for the period 1974-1993 in Krania Elassona karst system yielded the following results. Logarithms of the monthly spring discharge time series can be simulated on a SARIMA (4,1,1)(1,1,1)12 type model. This type of model is suitable for the Krania Elassona karst system simulation and can be utilised as a tool to predict monthly discharge values at Kafalovriso spring for at least a 2 year period. Seasonal stochastic models SARIMA seem to be capable of simulating both runoff and groundwater flow conditions on a karst system and also easily adapt to their natural conditions.Adapting the proper stochastic model to the karst groundwater flow conditions offers the possibility to obtain accurate short term predictions, thus contributing to rational groundwater resources exploitation and management planning

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.

Estimation of Spatial and Temporal Groundwater Balance Components in Khadir Canal Sub-Division, Chaj Doab, Pakistan

Hydrology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
Muhammad Aslam ◽  
Ali Salem ◽  
Vijay P. Singh ◽  
Muhammad Arshad
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Water Balance ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Water Balance Components ◽  
Aquifer Management ◽  
Groundwater Balance ◽  
Semi Arid

Evaluation of the spatial and temporal distribution of water balance components is required for efficient and sustainable management of groundwater resources, especially in semi-arid and data-poor areas. The Khadir canal sub-division, Chaj Doab, Pakistan, is a semi-arid area which has shallow aquifers which are being pumped by a plethora of wells with no effective monitoring. This study employed a monthly water balance model (water and energy transfer among soil, plants, and atmosphere)—WetSpass-M—to determine the groundwater balance components on annual, seasonal, and monthly time scales for a period of the last 20 years (2000–2019) in the Khadir canal sub-division. The spatial distribution of water balance components depends on soil texture, land use, groundwater level, slope, and meteorological conditions. Inputs for the model included data on topography, slope, soil, groundwater depth, slope, land use, and meteorological data (e.g., precipitation, air temperature, potential evapotranspiration, and wind speed) which were prepared using ArcGIS. The long-term average annual rainfall (455.7 mm) is distributed as 231 mm (51%) evapotranspiration, 109.1 mm (24%) surface runoff, and 115.6 mm (25%) groundwater recharge. About 51% of groundwater recharge occurs in summer, 18% in autumn, 14% in winter, and 17% in spring. Results showed that the WetSpass-M model properly simulated the water balance components of the Khadir canal sub-division. The WetSpass-M model’s findings can be used to develop a regional groundwater model for simulation of different aquifer management scenarios in the Khadir area, Pakistan.

scholarly journals Abacus to Predict Groundwater Recharge at Non-Instrumented Hydrographic Basins

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronaldo Medeiros dos Santos ◽  
Sérgio Koide ◽  
Bruno Esteves Távora ◽  
Daiana Lira de Araujo
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Vadose Zone ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Soil Class ◽  
Recharge Rates ◽  
Experimental Basin

One of the first steps to implement a policy for groundwater resources management is knowing the groundwater recharge. However, the unavailability of data and resources to execute field studies increase the uncertainty associated with the estimation of groundwater recharge. To fill this gap, the present work aimed to propose a method to predict groundwater recharge at non-instrumented hydrographic basins. The approach proposed is based on using an abacus to execute the transposition and/or regionalization of results generated in an experimental basin. The methodology comprised the estimation and mapping of recharge rates in the experimental basin using three distinct approaches—numerical modelling of the saturated zone, distributed hydrological modelling of the vadose zone, and the method of fluctuation of the water table elevation—and the following generation of the abacus, with average recharge values for combinations of soil class, land use/cover and slope using geographic information systems. The results indicate that the abacus is consistent for some Ferrasol areas, that the reliability of average regionalized values depends on the complexity of the physical environment—soil class, land use/cover, and slope—and that new studies, focusing on the hydro-physical characterization of soils, might produce more reliable estimations.

scholarly journals Groundwater age in the Wairarapa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Ryan David Evison
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Groundwater Age ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Age Assessment ◽  
The Mean

<p>This dissertation focuses on the catchment-scale evaluation of groundwater age as a function of space and time in the 270 km² Middle Wairarapa catchment. The simulation of the mean age and point distribution of ages, contributing to a regional age estimate, is a novel demonstration of the recently developed groundwater software, Cornaton (2012). The Wairarapa is in the southern North Island of New Zealand and is a dynamic water catchment exhibiting complex interactions between its rivers and shallow aquifers. Groundwater has been widely utilized since the 1980s for agriculture, horticulture and drinking water; increasing land use development (i.e. irrigation and nutrient application) requires effective regional management of both the quantity and quality of water resources.  Groundwater age provides insights into groundwater flow and transport processes and thus enables better management of groundwater resources. Subsurface water age information enables the interpretation of recharge influence, zones of sensitivity for sustainable abstraction, as well as contamination risk from land-use intensification to drinking water supplies. It is accepted that groundwater is composed of a mixture of water with different ages, however, until very recently mean age has been the primary indicator for groundwater age assessment. Mean age alone can misrepresent the potential for contamination from young water; for example, a groundwater sample with an old mean age may still contain a significant fraction of young water; therefore, a fuller understanding of the age distribution in both time and space is important for groundwater management. The ability to simulate the full distribution of groundwater age within transient numerical groundwater models has only been very recently enabled, through implementation of the time-marching Laplace transform Galerkin technique (TMLTGT), and is demonstrated in this dissertation.  A transient finite-element groundwater flow model originally developed by Greater Wellington Regional Council was converted to simulate transport of the age tracer tritium and groundwater age using the Ground Water (GW) software. Observed tritium concentrations were utilized in the calibration using the Monte Carlo and Gauss-Marquardt-Levenberg methods. Following the calibration of the transport model the GW software was then used to derive pumping well capture zones and directly simulate age throughout the Middle Wairarapa Valley catchment. The advective dispersive equation and the TMLTGT were used for transient mean-age and transient simulations of the full distribution of groundwater age. The results are presented as maps and graphs of both mean age and age distributions throughout the Middle Valley, covering a 15 year simulation period.  The mean-age simulations indicated the groundwater age in the valley was strongly influenced by seasonal changes and extreme climatic events. Significant variations existed, from high rainfall recharge percolating young water throughout the domain, to dry extended droughts limiting recharge and increasing the age throughout large sections of the Middle Valley. Age distributions were shown to be strongly influenced by abstraction pressures, depth and geology. Abstractions were shown to skew the age distribution, creating both older and younger mean-ages depending on the location of the observation point, and several simulations indicated the potential misrepresentation of young (potentially contaminated) water quantified as old by mean-age assessment. These results show the dynamic nature of the Middle Valley groundwater system and its inherent vulnerabilities. The Wairarapa transient age distributions are one of the first such examples in New Zealand, and they demonstrate the potential of the information interpreted from age estimates to more effectively manage groundwater resources.</p>

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal simulation of groundwater recharge and cross-validation with point measurements in volcanic aquifers with variable topography

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alemu Yenehun ◽  
Mekete Dessie ◽  
Fenta Nigate ◽  
Ashebir Sewale Belay ◽  
Mulugeta Azeze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Fractured Rock ◽  
Northwest Ethiopia ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Lake Tana ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Lake Tana Basin

Abstract. A physically distributed water balance model called WetSpass is applied to estimate the recharge for the semi-humid Lake Tana basin in northwest Ethiopia. Lake Tana basin is one of the growth corridors of the country, where huge waterworks infrastructure is developing. Estimating groundwater recharge at required spatial and temporal scales is a challenge in groundwater management, sustainability and pollution studies. In this study, the WetSpass model is developed at 90 m grid resolution. The spatial recharge map by WetSpass is cross-validated with water table fluctuation (WTF) and chloride mass balance (CMB) methods. The mean annual recharge, surface runoff, and evapotranspiration over the whole basin using WetSpass are estimated at 315 mm, 416 mm, and 770 mm of rainfall, respectively. The mean annual recharge ranges from 0 mm to 1085 mm (0 % to 57 % of the rainfall): 0 mm at water bodies and highest on flat, sandy loam soil and bush land cover. Similarly, a high range of recharge is also noted using WTF and CMB methods showing the strong heterogeneous nature of the hydro(meteoro)logical characteristics of the area. Generally, the recharge is found higher in southern and eastern catchments and lower in the northern catchments, primarily due to higher rainfall amounts in the former parts. A fair general correlation between the recharge by WTF and WetSpass is found. WetSpass is effective in aquifers where diffuse recharging mechanism is the predominant type and recharge is controlled by rainfall. It is less effective in the storage-controlled flat floodplain alluvial and fractured rock aquifer areas. In these areas, the point estimates by WTF and CMB are effective and can be considered as reliable values. The land use change from 1986 to 2014 brought a relatively small hydrological change in recharge although the land use has changed significantly.

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