Delineation of groundwater recharge zones and identification of artificial recharge sites in West Medinipur district,West Bengal,using RS,GIS and MCDM techniques

Artificial recharge plays a pivotal role in the sustainable management of groundwater resources. This study proposes a methodology to delineate artificial recharge zones as well as to identify favorable artificial recharge sites using integrated remote sensing (RS), geographical information system (GIS) and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques for augmenting groundwater resources in the West Medinipur district of West Bengal, India, which has been facing water shortage problems for the past few years. The thematic layers considered in this study are: geomorphology, geology, drainage density, slope and aquifer transmissivity, which were prepared using IRS-1D imagery and conventional data. Different themes and their corresponding features were assigned proper weights based on their relative contribution to groundwater recharge in the area, and normalized weights were computed using the Saaty’s analytic hierarchy process (AHP). These thematic layers were then integrated in the GIS environment to delineate artificial recharge zones in the study area. The artificial recharge map thus obtained divided the study area into three zones, viz., ‘suitable,’ ‘moderately suitable’ and ‘unsuitable’ according to their suitability for artificial groundwater recharge. It was found that about 46% of the study area falls under ‘suitable’ zone, whereas 43% falls under the ‘moderately suitable’ zone. The western portion of the study area was found to be unsuitable for artificial recharge. The artificial recharge zone map of the study area was found to be in agreement with the map of mean groundwater depths over the area. Furthermore, forty possible sites for artificial recharge were also identified using RS and GIS techniques. Based on the available field information, check dams are suggested as promising artificial recharge structures. The results of this study could be used to formulate an efficient groundwater management plan for the study area so as to ensure sustainable utilization of scarce groundwater resources.     

A framework for an optimised groundwater monitoring network and aggregated indicators

The implementation of the Water Framework Directive (EU 2000) requires a groundwater quality monitoring. It is used for characterisation of the ‘good’ chemical status of each groundwater body and for the restoration or protection purposes of those bodies already at ‘good’ status. Interpretative aspects are lying in the design of monitoring network and in the way of building global indicators. Attention is given here to the global chemical status of the groundwater bodies and to the role of diffuse pollution, much of which is brought via groundwater to surface water. Monitoring ‘local’ pollution associated with individual sites is not addressed. Groundwater bodies with different contrasted hydrogeology conditions, land use and topography have been considered to establish an approach for choosing an optimised monitoring network. Then, a quality assessment system has been developed and applied for qualifying the general status of each groundwater body. The use of non-dimensional indexes allows us to process with all kinds of chemical parameters in a normalised way and, by means of adequate aggregation rules, to qualify the general quality status of a groundwater body. The obtained diagnostic, even if not fully validated, is closely linked to the pragmatic objectives contained in the EU Water Directive.     

Groundwater development in the CCOP countries: challenges and opportunities

CCOP stands for Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia—an intergovernmental organization comprising of eleven Member Countries: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. CCOP’s mission is to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of applied geoscience programmes in the region to contribute to economic development and an improved quality of life within the region. As an intergovernmental geoscience organization, CCOP organizes its activities in seven programmes, including the groundwater programme, which promotes capacity building, technology transfer, exchange of information and institutional linkages for sustainable groundwater resource development in CCOP Member Countries. The overview of the status of groundwater development within the CCOP Member Countries will be elaborated highlighting quantity and quality challenges for its sustainable development. Some examples of challenges are the large numbers of people in these regions that still have no access to an improved water source; decline in the availability of freshwater, particularly in large river basins due to global warming; saltwater intrusion; arsenic pollution of groundwater, etc. Finally, the emphasis of the importance of capacity building in sound groundwater management will be shown as the contribution of CCOP to its members. The recommendation to capture the opportunities for groundwater development in CCOP Member Countries will be presented and discussed.     

Re-viewing the Entrapment controversy: Megaprojection, (mis)representation and postcolonial performance

Becoming the tallest building in the world in the mid-1990s, the Petronas Towers was the centre piece of an image of national progress and development that Malaysian authorities sought to project internationally. The release of Fox Movies' Entrapment in Malaysia in May 1999 provoked political outrage and popular disappointment at the way in which the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur had been spliced alongside riverside ‘slums’ filmed in the town of Malacca some 150 km away. This paper provides a critical reading of the spliced scene in the movie. At one level, the angry response of the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, to the scene diagnoses a geopolitics of asymmetrical representational power. However, I show how Mahathir's criticism of Entrapment in Malaysia was as much a defence of domestic political legitimacy (and national economic investibility) as it was ‘opposition’ or ‘resistance’ to hegemonic ‘Western’ (mis)representation. In addition, while the material and symbolic work of reimaging Kuala Lumpur had sought to negate (neo)orientalist imaginings of ‘Asian’ cities, the controversial scene rendered visible environmental ‘underdevelopment’ that has no place in a modern (vision of) Malaysia. Entrapment thus performed something in inducing Malaysian cities and citizens to ‘clean up’ their act, to practice ‘fully developed’ ways of seeing, being and being seen. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Beach Comfort Index – a new approach to evaluate the thermal conditions of beach holiday resorts using a South African example

The climatic conditions of seven beach holiday resorts in South Africa (Alexander Bay, Cape Town, George, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban and Richard's Bay) have been examined with regard to the thermal perception of beach holiday makers. The evaluation of the thermal conditions is based on the human energy balance calculations which have been adapted to the requirements of beach goers. A model has been developed to calculate the missing radiation input data and parameters such as ‘beach day’ and ‘beach hour’ are introduced and defined. The average monthly number of beach days is calculated for every location showing the highest amounts in Durban and Richard's Bay and the highest annual variations in Cape Town. The Beach Comfort Index Map of South Africa shows the maximum, minimum and average number of beach days per month and the probability of beach days and thus providing understandable and interpretable information on the thermal conditions of the sites from the point of view of beach holiday makers. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

全国地下水质分布及变化特征

以2013—2017年地下水监测站点水质监测数据为基础,统计地下水质监测指标的变化特征,筛查影响地下水质的主要指标,研究地下水质变化规律。选取2013—2017年具备连续监测数据的地下水监测井,对常规20项监测指标进行分析。研究发现:就监测站点水质指标而言,总硬度、铁、锰、“三氮”等超标率均达到了10%及以上,是导致地下水水质恶化的主要指标。总硬度超标集中在华北、东北、西南和西北地区的监测井,超标率在各省市间差别较大。氨氮超标率在各省市地区的监测井中差别较大,超标较为严重的省份是黑龙江、江苏、广东和宁夏。硝酸盐氮超标率年际变化稳定,华北、东北和西北地区的监测井中硝酸盐氮超标较为严重。亚硝酸盐氮超标在华北、东北和西北,以及上海、江苏、湖北、广西和贵州的监测井中较为严重。铁、锰超标主要集中在华北、华东、中南地区的监测井中,东三省、安徽、湖北、四川、宁夏等省份尤其严重。基于地下水监测井统计数据,在全国尺度上对地下水质量进行了综合分析评价,总结出了地下水监测中需要着重关注的指标,如“三氮”总硬度,铁、锰等。     

Deformation mechanisms of deeply buried and surface-piercing Late Pre-Cambrian to Early Cambrian Ara Salt from interior Oman

We compared microstructures of Late Pre-Cambrian to Early Cambrian Ara Salt diapirs from the deep subsurface (3.5–5 km) of the South Oman Salt Basin and from surface-piercing salt domes of the Ghaba Salt Basin. Laterally, these basins are approximately 500 km apart but belong to the same tectono-sedimentary system. The excellent data situation from both wells and outcrops allows a unique quantification of formation and deformation mechanisms, spanning from sedimentation to deep burial, and via re-activated diapir rise to surface piercement. Microstructures of gamma-irradiated and etched thin sections indicate dislocation creep and fluid-assisted grain boundary migration as the main deformation mechanisms operating in the deep subsurface. Microstructures from the surface are characterised by large ‘old’ subgrain-rich crystals. These ‘old’ grains are partly replaced by ‘new’ subgrain-free and subgrain-poor crystals, which show gamma irradiation-decorated growth bands and fibrous microstructures, indicative of pressure solution creep and static recrystallisation, most likely due to surface piercement and exposure. Using subgrain size piezometry, the maximum differential stresses for the subsurface salt is 1.7 MPa and those for the surface-piercing salt is 3.4 MPa, the latter value displaying the high stress conditions in the diapir ‘stem’ as the salt rises on its way to the surface.     

Vertical velocity of mantle flow of East Asia and adjacent areas

Based on the high-resolution body wave tomographic image and relevant geophysical data, we calculated the form and the vertical and tangential velocities of mantle flow. We obtained the pattern of mantle convection for East Asia and the West Pacific. Some important results and understandings are gained from the images of the vertical velocity of mantle flow for East Asia and the West Pacific. There is an upwelling plume beneath East Asia and West Pacific, which is the earth’s deep origin for the huge rift valley there. We have especially outlined the tectonic features of the South China Sea, which is of the “工” type in the upper mantle shield type in the middle and divergent in the lower; the Siberian clod downwelling dives from the surface to near Core and mantle bounary (CMB), which is convergent in the upper mantle and divergent in the lower mantle; the Tethyan subduction region, centered in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, is visible from 300 to 2 000 km, which is also convergent in the upper mantle and divergent in the lower mantle. The three regions of mantle convection beneath East Asia and the West Pacific are in accordance with the West Pacific, Ancient Asia and the Tethyan structure regions. The mantle upwelling originates from the core-mantle boundary and mostly occurs in the middle mantle and the lower part of the upper mantle. The velocities of the vertical mantle flow are about 1–4 cm per year and the tangential velocities are 1–10 cm per year. The mantle flow has an effect on controlling the movement of plates and the distributions of ocean ridges, subduction zones and collision zones. The mantle upwelling regions are clearly related with the locations of hotspots on the earth’s surface. Translated from Geology in China, 2006, 33(4): 896–905 [译自: 中国地质]     

Nitrate contamination of groundwater in an agroecosystem in Zhangye Oasis,Northwest China

In order to assess the extent of groundwater contamination by nitrate (NO₃ ⁻–N) and to provide information about the deterioration of the groundwater quality in Zhangye Oasis, Northwest China, a study was conducted in this area. The mean value of NO₃ ⁻–N concentrations in groundwater samples was 10.66 ± 0.19 mg l⁻¹. NO₃ ⁻–N concentrations exceeding 10 mg l⁻¹ (the threshold for drinking water set by the World Health Organization) were found in 32.4% of 71 wells, and were 13, 33.3, 52.4 and 50.0% in the groundwater samples from drinking wells, irrigation wells, hand-pumping wells and groundwater table observation wells, respectively. The result showed that the groundwater samples that had NO₃ ⁻–N concentrations exceeding the threshold for drinking water were mostly collected from a depth of less than 20 m. Groundwater NO₃ ⁻–N concentrations in areas used for the cultivation of vegetables, seed maize and intercropped maize were significantly higher than those in urban or paddy areas. NO₃ ⁻–N contamination of groundwater in areas with sandy soil was more severe than in those with loam soil.     

Geoenvironmental site investigation using different techniques in a municipal solid waste disposal site in Brazil

Different geoenvironmental site investigation techniques to assess contamination from a municipal solid waste disposal site in Brazil are presented here. Superficial geophysical investigation (geoelectrical survey), resistivity piezocone penetration tests (RCPTU), soil samples collected with direct-push samplers and water samples collected from monitoring wells were applied in this study. The application of the geoelectrical method was indispensable to identify the presence and flow direction of contamination plumes (leachate) as well as to indicate the most suitable locations for RCPTU tests and soil and water sampling. Chemical analyses of groundwater samples contributed to a better understanding of the flow of the contaminated plume. The piezocone presented some limitations for tropical soils, since the groundwater level is sometimes deeper than the layer which is impenetrable to the cone, and the soil genesis and unsaturated conditions affect soil behavior. The combined interpretation of geoelectrical measurements and soil and water samplings underpinned the interpretation of RCPTU tests. The interpretation of all the test results indicates that the contamination plume has already overreached the landfill’s west-northwest borders. Geoenvironmental laboratory test results suggest that contamination from the solid waste disposal site has been developing gradually, indicating the need for continuous monitoring of the groundwater.     

Environmental hazard analysis of a gypsum karst depression area with geophysical methods: a case study in Sivas (Turkey)

Because the mixture of seawater and freshwater in the Gyeongin-Ara Waterway in South Korea can lead to the intrusion of saline water into surrounding aquifers, systematic management through the establishment of a groundwater protection area is required. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model is used to delineate this protection area based on two primary factors and five secondary factors related to saline water intrusion. The study area is divided into 987 gridded cells with a unit size of 100 × 100 m, and the final evaluation score for each cell is calculated using the AHP model. Consequently, several artificial neural network models based on a multilayer perceptron are developed using the AHP’s secondary criteria and the evaluation score. Comparing the evaluation scores of ANN and AHP, more than 180 samples are required in the ANN model to insure high R2 between the original and estimated values. The ANN model is more consistent than the AHP model when determining groundwater protection area, because it can be re-constructed due to the changes in some secondary criteria and also changed due to a standardization process. The final evaluation score by the ANN model based on 300 samples, with the highest R2, is calculated and the regions with a score higher than 2.0 are selected as the groundwater protection area, accounting for 15% of the total cells. This area is similar to the range within approximately 200 m of the GA Waterway and also includes some changing sites in hydrogeochemistry and electric conductivity, which is produced by saline water intrusion. If the land-use type, groundwater levels, and some other criteria change at any cell, the ANN model can be re-executed to verify whether the cell belongs to a groundwater protection area. Considering that salinity of groundwater near the waterway can be affected by various factors including well depth, pumping conditions, and groundwater levels, the ANN model, which is a non-linear model, can be more effective for prediction than the AHP model.     

Primitivism and the other. History of art and cultural geography

The article advocates an articulation of cultural geography and art history, and in this perspective focuses on the analysis of the primitivist movement and particularly on Gauguin's work and personal itinerary. Primitivism introduced artefacts of ‘primitive’ people into the history of Western art and signalled a change in the relationship between the West and the ‘Other’ and ‘Elsewhere’. This reversal of values has a major geographical dimension. Primitivism manifests the contradiction-rife colonial ideology, but can also challenge colonization. Tourism, which is, in the case of Tahiti, directly linked to Gauguin and to his myth, inherited a lot from primitivism, in terms of hopes and ambiguities. Conversely, primitivism casts light on geographical features of these places, instituted as ‘Elsewheres‘ by the West, and visited, even transformed by painters, colonizers and tourists. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Temporal variations in arsenic concentration in the groundwater of Murshidabad District,West Bengal,India

Systematic investigations on seasonal variations in arsenic (As) concentrations in groundwater in both space and time are scarce for most parts of West Bengal (India). Hence, this study has been undertaken to investigate the extent of As pollution and its temporal variability in parts of Murshidabad district (West Bengal, India). Water samples from 35 wells were collected during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons and analyzed for various elements. Based on the Indian permissible limit for As (50 μg/L) in the drinking water, water samples were classified into contaminated and uncontaminated category. 18 wells were reported as uncontaminated (on average 12 μg/L As) and 12 wells were found contaminated (129 μg/L As) throughout the year, while 5 wells could be classified as either contaminated or uncontaminated depending on when they were sampled. Although the number of wells that alternate between the contaminated and uncontaminated classification is relatively small (14%), distinct seasonal variation in As concentrations occur in all wells. This suggests that investigations conducted within the study area for the purpose of assessing the health risk posed by As in groundwater should not rely on a single round of water samples. In comparison to other areas, As is mainly released to the groundwater due to reductive dissolution of Fe-oxyhydroxides, a process, which is probably enhanced by anthropogenic input of organic carbon. The seasonal variation in As concentrations appear to be caused mainly by dilution effects during monsoon and post-monsoon. The relatively high concentrations of Mn (mean 0.9 mg/L), well above the WHO limit (0.4 mg/L), also cause great concern and necessitate further investigations.     

Glacio-lacustrine stratigraphy,aquifer characterization and contaminant transport: a case study in South Lake Tahoe,California, USA

A hydrogeologic model that has been used by many researchers and consultants to describe an area of South Lake Tahoe, California, USA impacted by MTBE contamination describes a relatively homogeneous unconfined aquifer comprised of poorly sorted glacial outwash deposits, within which water-supply wells are able to exert significant alteration in natural groundwater flow. A re-examination of the area’s hydrogeology is presented, which supports a layered heterogeneous aquifer system constructed of alternating fine and coarser-grained glacio-lacustrine depositional units. This re-evaluation was accomplished through a review of lithologic logs across an area of approximately 1 km², combined with observations of significant hydraulic head differences and knowledge of the depositional environments controlled by Pleistocene Lake Tahoe high stands. Many of the fine-grained units observed at depths from 6 to 15 m, although relatively thin, are generally continuous and serve as significant barriers to groundwater flow. The vertical migration of contamination across these fine-grained units to deeper groundwaters was facilitated by cross-screened monitoring wells installed as part of site investigation activities. This conclusion highlights the importance of geologic characterization and proper monitoring well construction at contaminated site investigations.

---

Electronic supplementary material   The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Impact of liquid waste disposal on potable groundwater resources near Perth,Western Australia

 Drilling of 15 boreholes at a disused liquid waste disposal site near Perth, Western Australia, has indicated that a contamination plume extends about 1000 m in a southerly direction from the site in the direction of groundwater flow. The plume is up to 600 m wide and 5–40 m thick. Chemical and microbiological analyses have indicated that contaminated groundwater contains high concentrations of ammonia, iron, and bacteria at levels that commonly exceed national drinking water guidelines. It is likely that a proposed water supply production well in the path of the contamination plume will have to be abandoned, and additional wells may have to be abandoned if the plume continues to extend in the direction of groundwater flow. There is currently insufficient information to indicate whether the plume is continuing to expand, but studies on similar plumes in the Perth metropolitan area have indicated that contaminated groundwater can move at rates up to 100 m yr^–1. Several other liquid waste disposal sites are now located in residential areas of Perth where wells are used for garden irrigation. Further work is required to ensure that there is no potential impact of groundwater contamination on public health in these areas. Received: 31 July 1995 · Accepted: 18 September 1995     

Analysis of the negative effects of groundwater exploitation on geological environment in Asia

This paper summarizes the negative effects on geological environment caused by groundwater exploitation and its distribution. There are seven main types of the geological environment negative effects, which are generally as follows:(1) Constant decrease of groundwater level is mainly distributed in China(East Asia), India(South Asia), Tajikistan(Central Asia) and Saudi Arabia(West Asia);(2) land subsidence occurs mainly in eastern plains of East Asia and west Siberian Plain of North Asia;(3) seawater intrusion occurs mainly in China, Japan and South Korea in East Asia, Philippines and Indonesia in Southeast Asia, the Indian coastal areas in South Asia;(4) groundwater level decline caused by groundwater exploitation in oil fields;(5) mining collapse is mainly in 50° to 70° north latitude band;(6) the total area of karst collapse in China of East Asia is as much as 197.05 km~2; and(7) ground fracture is mainly distributed in the North China Plain, Fenwei Plain and the Yangtze River Delta. Asia can be divided into 6 zones in terms of the geological environment negative effect caused by groundwater exploitation. According to analysis, with the increasing intensity of human activities, geological environment issues become more and more serious, therefore it is vital to control the human activities within the scope of 5× 10~5 people/km~2 to 9.9× 10~5 people/km~2 for the effective control of the size of the affected area by geological environment problems.     

国家地下水监测工程(自然资源部分)西辽河平原监测区建设成果概述

为落实国家地下水监测工程与地下水质监测工作任务,实现对西辽河平原地下水动态的有效监测,国家地下水监测工程(自然资源部分)在西辽河平原监测区共布设了国家级地下水自动监测井117眼,其中新建监测井93眼,改建机民井24眼,安装自动监测仪器117套。监测区控制面积57 000 km²,主要监测层位为第四系松散沉积物孔隙水含水层,监测层位最大深度为206 m。建成了国家地下水监测工程信息服务系统,提升了地下水监测信息获取、分析、共享和服务能力。该项目的实施大幅度提高了监测区地下水的监测频次以及信息的时效性、可靠性和准确性。     

Groundwater contamination: risk management and assessment for landfills in Mar del Plata, Argentina

 This study presents a program for risk management in the contamination of groundwater resulting from leachate in landfills at Mar del Plata (Argentina). The program includes prediction, prevention, monitory observation and mitigation as actions that must be taken prior to, during, and after contamination occurs. This routine aids in the identification of weak points and failures of the program for those who are in charge of making decisions, and will allow better use of limited financial and technical resources based on planning, thus minimizing disconnected determinations. Results of the prediction stage were confirmed through monitoring. The presence of a plume of contamination more than 100 m from the landfill was shown, thus proving that implementation of a monitoring plan to follow the development of the contaminated plume must be implemented, particularly in populated areas which depend on residential wells for their water supply. Received: 8 May 2000 · Accepted: 14 August 2000     

Comparing groundwater recharge and base flow in the Bukmoongol small-forested watershed,Korea

Groundwater recharge and base flow using different investigated methods are simulated in the 15-ha Bukmoongol small-forested watershed located at the southern part of Korea. The WHAT system, PART, RORA, PULSE, BFI, and RAP software are used to estimate groundwater recharge or base flow and base flow index from the measured streamflow. Results show that about 15–31 per cent of annual rainfall might be contributed for base flow. The watershed groundwater recharge proportions are computed to about 10–21 per cent during the wet period and 23–32 per cent for the remainder periods. Mean annual base flow indices vary from 0.25 to 0.76 estimated using different methods. However, the study found out that all methods were significantly correlated with each other. The similarity of various methods is expressed as a weighted relationship provided by the matrix product from the principal component analysis. Overall, the BFI and WHAT software appeared consistent in estimating recharge or base flow, and base flow index under Korea’s conditions. The case study recommends the application of different models to other watersheds as well as in low-lying areas where most observation groundwater wells are located with available streamflow data.