Groundwater recharge in semi-arid carbonate aquifers under intensive use: the Estepa Range aquifers (Seville, southern Spain)

Quantifying groundwater recharge in carbonate aquifers located in semi-arid regions and subjected to intensive groundwater use is no easy task. One reason is that there are very few available methods suitable for application under such climatic conditions, and moreover, some of the methods that might be applied were originally designed with reference to non-carbonate aquifers. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the fact that, in any given aquifer, groundwater recharge is modified by the groundwater exploitation. Here we focus on four methods selected to assess their suitability for estimating groundwater recharge in carbonate aquifers affected by intensive exploitation. The methods were applied to the Estepa Range aquifers of Seville, southern Spain, which are subjected to different degrees of exploitation. Two conventional methods were used: chloride mass balance and daily soil–water balance. These results were compared with the results obtained by means of two non-conventional methods, designed for application to the carbonate aquifers of southern Spain: the APLIS and ERAS methods. The results of the different methods are analogous, comparable to those obtained in nearby non-exploited carbonate aquifers, confirming their suitability for use with carbonate aquifers in either natural or exploited regimes in a semi-arid climate.     

Hydrogeochemical effects of groundwater mining of the Sierra de Crevillente Aquifer (Alicante,Spain)

The groundwater mining of the Crevillente aquifer (southeastern Spain) has resulted in the progressive deterioration of water quality, with particularly significant increases in chloride, sulfate, and sodium. The possibility of a vertical hydrochemical zoning is deduced that would require examining the importance of the geometry and lithology (evaporitic materials) in the salinization process. The time of water-rock contact (residence time) and dilution by infiltration of rainwater also influences the hydrogeochemistry of the aquifer. The hydrochemical data are useful in defining the conceptual model of the aquifer, completely karstified with relative homogeneity.Project AMB92-0211 (CICYT)     

Application of groundwater sustainability indicators to the carbonate aquifer of the Sierra de Becerrero (Southern Spain)

The objective of this study was to test the applicability of groundwater sustainability indicators defined by UNESCO, together with the International Academy of Environmental Sciences (IAES), the International Association of Hydrogeology (IAH) Group on Groundwater Indicators and the Geological Survey of Spain (IGME), to the aquifer scale. We selected four main indicators based on their relevance in the field of groundwater sustainability and because they proved to be the most reliable, based on the data collection and methodology utilized. These indicators were applied to a small—26 km² of permeable outcrops—carbonate aquifer situated in the province of Seville (southern Spain), which has semi-arid climate conditions (500 mm/year). The integral application of all these indicators in this particular groundwater body leads us to conclude that, at present, the aquifer is undergoing intensive use. Therefore, the exploitation of its water resources is surpassing the threshold of sustainability when both the quantity and the quality of the groundwater are taken into consideration. The continued increase in exploitation generates a descending trend in the evolution of the piezometric levels, a consequence of adaptation to the new hydrodynamic situation, and also results in exhaustion of the springs that drain the aquifer in undisturbed conditions. At the same time, there is a trend of increasing salinity in the groundwater and a risk of contamination by nitrate which, according to the EU Water Framework Directive and the Groundwater Daughter Directive (EU Official Journal of the European Communities L327, 2000; EU Official Journal of the European Communities L372/19, 2006), should be controlled and reduced. In the future, application of the methodology described here may prove useful for the evaluation of similar systems, either in southern Spain or in other countries with semi-arid climates.     

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of two-Pyroxene andesites from Sierra de Gata (SE Spain)

Summary The Miocene volcanic suite of Sierra de Gata (Betic Cordillera) is composed of dacites, rhyodacites and rhyolites, besides basaltic andesites and andesites. The latter are very fresh and are the least fractionated rock types; thus they have been investigated in order to put some constraints on the genetic interpretation of the volcanic sequence. These rocks are composed of plagioclase, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and magnetite both as phenocrysts and in the groundmass. Olivine and ilmenite occur occasionally. The andesites exhibit orogenic chemical features. They are characterized by very low Ni, Co and Cr contents and show negative Eu anomalies, which support fractionation of mafic phases and plagioclase at depth. The petrogenesis of the andesites, however, cannot be related simply to fractionation processes of a single mafic magma since the lack of good interelemental correlations, the scattering of Sr-isotope ratios and the isotope disequilibrium between the phases conflict with such a simple mechanism. A model which can better explain the petrogenesis of the analyzed andesites considers the intervention of different mafic melts, generated in a heterogeneous mantle and characterized by different chemical and isotopic compositions, which fractionated at depth and concomitantly interacted significantly with the continental crust.

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Geochemie und Petrogenese von Pyroxen-Andesiten der Sierra de Gata (SE Spanien)

Zusammenfassung Die miozäne Vulkanitabfolge der Sierra de Gata (Betische Kordillere) wird von Daciten, Rhyodaciten, Rhyoliten sowie basaltischen Andesiten and Andesiten aufgebaut, letztere sind in einem guten Erhaltungszustand and zeigen die geringste Fraktionierung. Sie wurden daher genauer untersucht, um Aussagen über die Genese dieser Vulkanite machen zu können.Phenokrysten und Grundmasse bestehen aus Plagioklas, Orthopyroxen, Klinopyroxen und Magnetit. Manchmal kommen Olivin und Ilmenit hinzu. Die Geochemie der Andesite folgt typisch orogenen Trends. Sie sind durch sehr niedrige Ni-, Co- und Cr-Gehalte und negative Eu-Anomalien charakterisiert; dies belegt eine Fraktionierung der mafischen Gemengteile und des Plagioklases in der Tiefe. Die petrogenetische Entwicklung der Andesite kann allerdings nicht einfach mit Fraktionierungsprozessen eines einzigen mafischen Magmas erklärt werden. Das Fehlen von Element-Korrelationen, das starke Streuen der Sr-Isotopenverhältnisse und das Isotopenungleichgewicht zwischen den einzelnen Mineralphasen stehen in Widerspruch zu einem derartigen einfachen Modell. Ein Modell, das die Petrogenese der untersuchten Andesite besser erklärt, zieht die Beteiligung verschiedener mafischen Schmelzen-sie bildeten sich in einem heterogenen Mantel und sind durch Unterschiede im Chemismus und ihrer Isotopenzusammensetzung charakterisiert—in Betracht. Dabei kam es zu Fraktionierung dieser Magmen in der Tiefe und zu beträchtlichen Reaktionen mit kontinentalem Krustenmaterial.

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With 5 Figures     

A multi-method approach for groundwater resource assessment in coastal carbonate (karst) aquifers: the case study of Sierra Almijara (southern Spain)

Understanding the transference of water resources within hydrogeological systems, particularly in coastal aquifers, in which groundwater discharge may occur through multiple pathways (through springs, into rivers and streams, towards the sea, etc.), is crucial for sustainable groundwater use. This research aims to demonstrate the usefulness of the application of conventional recharge assessment methods coupled to isotopic techniques for accurately quantifying the hydrogeological balance and submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) from coastal carbonate aquifers. Sierra Almijara (Southern Spain), a carbonate aquifer formed of Triassic marbles, is considered as representative of Mediterranean coastal karst formations. The use of a multi-method approach has permitted the computation of a wide range of groundwater infiltration rates (17–60%) by means of direct application of hydrometeorological methods (Thornthwaite and Kessler) and spatially distributed information (modified APLIS method). A spatially weighted recharge rate of 42% results from the most coherent information on physiographic and hydrogeological characteristics of the studied system. Natural aquifer discharge and groundwater abstraction have been volumetrically quantified, based on flow and water-level data, while the relevance of SGD was estimated from the spatial analysis of salinity, ²²²Rn and the short-lived radium isotope ²²⁴Ra in coastal seawater. The total mean aquifer discharge (44.9–45.9 hm³ year^?1) is in agreement with the average recharged groundwater (44.7 hm³ year^?1), given that the system is volumetrically equilibrated during the study period. Besides the groundwater resources assessment, the methodological aspects of this research may be interesting for groundwater management and protection strategies in coastal areas, particularly karst environments.     

Assessment of groundwater circulation in La Gomera aquifers (Canary Islands, Spain) from their hydrochemical features

La Gomera (Canary Islands, Spain) does not show water scarcity like other islands of the Archipelago. However, the study of its aquifers is paramount as nearly 60 % of the water supplies are covered with spring water. According to the currently accepted hydrogeological model, La Gomera presents an upper aquifer consisting of perched groundwater bodies. Below this hydrogeological unit, the General Saturated Zone or basal groundwater is placed. The model also establishes the presence of flows through them. Many perched groundwater bodies are located under Garajonay National Park where most of the springs are found. Therefore, if upper and lower aquifers are truly connected and new wells are built, the new extractions could affect Garajonay ecosystems. With the aim of identifying spring groups and related potential areas of water transfer, hydrochemical and statistical analyses (principal component analysis and cluster analysis) have been applied. This study shows the great compositional variability of groundwaters, precluding the identification of spring groups, hydrochemical patterns and, therefore, the transfer areas with no possibility of assessing the potential impact of a water demand increase on the Garajonay National Park ecosystems from the present data. Only the springs belonging to group II of the cluster analysis could indicate a transfer area. The lack of conclusive results could be due to: (1) great compositional variability of volcanic materials; (2) unequal influence of marine aerosols; (3) irregular distribution of rainfall; (4) different grades of soils development; and (5) the occurrence of partially disconnected water bodies giving as a result a complex hydrogeological system.     

Isotope geochemistry of waters affected by mining activities in Sierra Minera and Portman Bay (SE,Spain)

The objective of this work was to evaluate processes affecting waters from Portman Bay by way of stable isotopic analysis, particularly H and O stable isotopes from water and S and O from dissolved sulfates. In addition, surface waters from Sierra Minera were examined for the purpose of determining if these waters are affected by similar processes. The results obtained indicate that Portman Bay waters are meteoric, and marine infiltration only takes place in the deepest layers near the shore or if water remains stagnated in sediments with low permeability. The main source of sulfate was the oxidation of sulfides, resulting in the liberation of acid, sulfate and metals. In order to assess the mechanism responsible for sulfide oxidation, the stoichiometric isotope balance model and the general isotope balance model were tested, suggesting that the oxidation via Fe³⁺ was predominant in the surface, and controlled by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, while at depth, sulfate reduction occurred.     

Neogene exhumation and relief evolution in the eastern Betics (SE Spain): Insights from the Sierra de Gador

The Betics are a key area to study an orogenic landscape disrupted by late‐orogenic extension. New low‐temperature thermochronology (LTT) data (AHe and AFT) coupled with geomorphic constraints in the Sierra de Gador (Alpujarride complex) are used to reconstruct the cooling history and evolution of relief during the Neogene. We document three stages: (1) a fast cooling event between 23 and 16 Ma associated with the well‐known extensive tectonic exhumation of the Alpujarride unit, (2) a period of slow cooling between 16 and 7.2 Ma related to a planation event and (3) a post‐7.2 Ma surface uplift associated with the inversion of the Alboran domain undetected by LTT. The planation event followed by this late uplift can explain the occurrence of inherited low‐relief surfaces overlain by Tortonian–Messinian platform deposits at the top of the range. Finally, we propose that the Sierra de Gador is a more transient landscape than the nearby Sierra Nevada.     

Comparative application of two methods (COP and PaPRIKa) for groundwater vulnerability mapping in Mediterranean karst aquifers (France and Spain)

A comparative test of two vulnerability mapping methods (COP and PaPRIKa) specifically dedicated to for karst aquifers was carried out on two Mediterranean carbonate aquifers. The vulnerability maps obtained for each aquifer present important differences. To identify and determine the origin of these differences, the results were statistically analyzed using sensitivity analysis, coefficients of determination and scatter graphs. In addition, the global vulnerability (Gv) parameter was used to measure the general vulnerability of the aquifer and to compare the results obtained. This statistical analysis led us to conclude that the main cause of differences between these two methods used to assess aquifer vulnerability lie in the relative importance of the parameters employed in calculating the vulnerability index. For the PaPRIKa method, the variable related to infiltration (slope and karst features) has the most influence, with less weight being assigned to the protective capacity of layers overlying the aquifer. For the COP method, the most influent variable is defined by the layers overlying the aquifer, together with infiltration characteristics, determined by the relative importance of different forms of infiltration in each aquifer. The vulnerability mappings performed using the COP method present greater coherence with the known hydrogeological behavior of the study areas, especially the Spanish aquifers. Nevertheless, further hydrogeological investigations are needed, such as ones to validate the obtained vulnerability maps.     

Sulphide-mining impacts in the physical environment: Sierra de Cartagena–La Unión (SE Spain) case study

The environmental impact and potential-risk assessment of an abandoned sulphide-mining site in a semiarid climate is presented here, by the study case of Sierra de Cartagena–La Unión (SE Spain), a 2,500-year-old mining district extending over an area of 100 km². The regional map illustrates the existence of 12 open-pits, 1,902 mining wells, 2,351 waste deposits, including 89 tailing dams and waste rock derived from mining processes. Mine wastes occupy an area of 9 km² and have an approximate volume of 200 Mm³. Mineralogical, physical and chemical data distinguish nine different types of mine and metallurgical waste. According to the concentration of sulphate and heavy metals in sediment, soil, rainwater, surface water and groundwater samples, it is possible to conclude that the impact of mine activities occurs not only in the immediate mining area (100 km²), but also in the surrounding areas (an affected area of 1,000 km² approximately). The hydrochemical data show that groundwater, runoff water and some rainwater samples exceed Spanish and European water quality guideline values for water supply. The main geochemical process recognised is sulphide-mineral oxidation and later-generated sulphate dissolution by groundwater and runoff. Runoff and wind are the major mechanisms of metals and sulphate transport in the study area and adjacent zones.     

Groundwater temperature and electrical conductivity as tools to characterize flow patterns in carbonate aquifers: The Sierra de las Nieves karst aquifer, southern Spain

In carbonate massifs, flow patterns are conditioned by karstification processes which develop a conduit network and preserve low permeability microfractured blocks. The Sierra de las Nieves karst massif (southern Spain) is subjected to a given climatic and geological context, and thus it is possible to analyse the spatial and temporal variability of the water temperature and electrical conductivity at its main karst outlets, which display different responses to rainfall episodes. In this experimental field area, conduit flow and diffuse flow drainage patterns have been distinguished by combining groundwater temperature and electrical conductivity data. Both parameters show large variations in water coming from conduit flow systems and low variations in water drained by springs draining diffuse flow systems. However, groundwater temperature displays the smallest variations, which seems to indicate that this parameter is less sensitive as regards characterising the degree of karstification, which is a key question in characterising the aquifer functioning.     

The effect of possible climate change on natural groundwater recharge based on a simple model: a study of four karstic aquifers in SE Spain

The study presented in this paper constitutes an initial approach to the problematic task of evaluating the effects of possible climate change on natural water recharge to aquifers. To estimate such effects, a purpose-designed mathematical model termed Estimation of Recharge in Over-exploited Aquifers (ERAS) has been used. It enables to simulate the monthly water recharge to an aquifer, provided that prior knowledge of the exploitation to which it is subjected and the variation caused by these two actions on the piezometric level of the aquifer is available. The basic data required for its application are: precipitation, temperature, groundwater extraction, stored groundwater surface and storage coefficient. The main advantage presented by this model is its independence of the mechanism by which water is displaced through the ground and within the unsaturated zone. The ERAS code was applied to four over-exploited karstic aquifers in Alto Vinalopó (Alicante, Spain) with the goal of generating a synthesized series of values for natural groundwater recharge in each of the aquifers for the 100 years of the twentieth century. Each series thus obtained after being grouped into decades was subjected to statistical processing, which revealed that in every case a logarithmically decreasing trend was present.     

Proposed method for groundwater vulnerability mapping in carbonate (karstic) aquifers: the COP method

The ‘COP method’ has been developed for the assessment of intrinsic vulnerability of carbonate aquifers in the frame of the European COST Action 620. This method uses the properties of overlying layers above the water table (O factor), the concentration of flow (C factor) and precipitation (P factor) over the aquifer, as the parameters to assess the intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater. This method considers karst characteristics, such as the presence of swallow holes (C factor) and their catchment areas as well as karstic landforms, as factors which decrease the natural protection provided by overlying layers (O factor). The P factor allows for consideration of the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation, which is considered the transport agent of contamination. Two carbonate aquifers in the South of Spain, Sierra de Líbar (a conduit flow system) and Torremolinos (a diffuse flow system), have been selected for the application and validation of the method and the results have been compared with three methods widely applied in different aquifers around the world (AVI, GOD and DRASTIC). Comparisons with these methods and validation tools (hydrogeological data and tracer test) show the advantages of the COP method in the assessment of vulnerability of karstic groundwaters.     

The impacts of pasture- and manure-spreading on microbial groundwater quality in carbonate aquifers

Hydrogeological and microbiological research is in progress to analyze the interaction between groundwater and microbial pollutants, produced by pasture and/or manure spreading, in the areas of different carbonate aquifers of southern Italy. Several springs and wells were studied, and the precipitation, the discharge, the groundwater level and the classic microbial indicators of pollution were monitored weekly or daily. The experimental results show that the pasture and the manure spreading produced microbial contamination of the groundwater, even if runoff infiltration in swallow holes does not exist. The time dependence of microbial contamination shows a series of peaks irregularly distributed, related to the precipitation that produce effective infiltration.     

Modeling freshening time and hydrochemical evolution of groundwater in coastal aquifers of Shenzhen,China

This work investigated the freshening time and hydrochemical evolution of coastal groundwater in two brackish aquifers in Shenzhen, China. One was the brackish aquifer that resulted from heavy pumping, and the other was the aquifer reclaimed from the coastal sea. Freshening time and hydrochemical evolution of brackish aquifers were quantitatively evaluated using PHREEQC 2.0, a one-dimensional reactive-transport model. Freshening time was shown to mainly depend on pore water velocity, while the chemical composition of groundwater was determined by the cation exchange capacity of the aquifer. It was shown that after heavy pumping ceased, the freshening time for the original coastal aquifer ranged from 20 to over 80 years. While for the coastal reclaimed aquifer, the freshening time was from 85 to 140 years, which depended on the hydraulic conductivity of the fill materials in the reclaimed site. During aquifer freshening, groundwater evolved from Na–Cl type to Ca–Mg–HCO₃ or Na–HCO₃ type. A sensitivity analysis showed that the freshening time was most sensitive to the pore water velocity in the aquifer, while the groundwater chemical composition was most sensitive to the values of cation exchange capacity of the aquifer. As for the dispersivity, it had almost no effect on the freshening time and the chemical composition of groundwater.     

Integrating outcrop data and forward computer modelling to unravel the development of a Messinian carbonate platform in SE Spain (Sorbas Basin)

Geological mapping, definition of facies distributions and reconstruction of platform‐interior growth geometries of the Messinian Cariatiz carbonate platform (Sorbas basin, South Spain), were performed to evaluate the controlling factors in platform growth and to test a 3‐D computer simulation program. For the simulation with the program REPRO, five platform‐related facies were modelled: (1) the reef crest facies by the numerical solution of a Fisher equation; (2) the lagoonal facies by a function of water depth‐dependent carbonate production; (3) the proximal and middle slope facies (breccia and block facies, calcarenite facies) by a subroutine simulating gravity‐driven particle export from the reef crest; (4) a distal slope; and (5) a basinal facies by a pelagic rain function. Development of a fan delta conglomeratic system is simulated by using a siliciclastic point source and gravity‐driven particle redistribution. A best fit between the observed platform growth geometries and modelling results is achieved by assuming that high‐frequency sea‐level changes superimposed onto a longer term sea‐level fall controlled platform growth. For the modelling, a relative sea‐level curve was reconstructed, which is based on a deep‐sea benthic foraminiferal stable oxygen isotope record at ODP Site 926 with a 45 m eustatic sea‐level fall, and a tectonic uplift component of 20 m. The consistency of 3‐D simulation results is corroborated by the coral growth rates provided by the Fisher‐equation subroutine. These rates of 2–8 mm year⁻¹ compare well to the coral growth rates in Recent fringing reefs. We propose that during the early stage of platform evolution the high‐frequency fluctuations were obliquity‐modulated precessional cycles, whereas precessional cycles control later stages of platform growth. REPRO provides a separate visualization of the different facies bodies as a function of time and space, showing the intrinsic pattern of facies distribution in the platform. This is the result of a combination of platform growth and syndepositional subaerial erosion. For example, only the youngest stages of reef framework facies in the development of the Cariatiz carbonate platform are preserved.     

Advanced DInSAR analysis on mining areas: La Union case study (Murcia, SE Spain)

The town of La Union (SE, Spain) is located within a metal mining area that has been exploited since the Roman period. This historic exploitation has left behind a high concentration of abandoned underground mining galleries. Currently, an industrial area is subsiding due to the collapse of one of these galleries in May 1998. In this paper, an advanced Differential Interferometry SAR (DInSAR) method called the Coherent Pixels Technique (CPT) has been used to study the subsidence phenomena for two time intervals, from January 1998 to December 2000, and from March 2003 to December 2004. DInSAR-derived deformation maps have enabled the detection and monitoring of different deformation processes that affect several locations within the study area. By comparing these results with the underground mining galleries map, a clear relationship between their presence and the subsidence has been proved. Deformation values retrieved with DInSAR between April 2003 and December 2004 have been compared with the topographical leveling network measurements performed in this same period, providing an absolute average difference of 0.7 cm with a standard deviation of 0.5 cm. Results obtained in the city of La Union have shown that the advanced DInSAR technique is able to provide very useful spatial and temporal deformation data for the measurement of small scale subsidence throughout short time periods. This technique has enabled the temporal evolution of the phenomena in the city of La Unión to be studied and understanding of subsidence to be expanded beyond the limits of a deployed topographical control network, in a more cost effective way than classical methods.     

基于聚类分析的华蓥山褶皱山系地下水水化学分类研究

岩性、岩石结构、地下水径流条件等不同,地下水水化学组分差异较大。研究地下水的水化学组分,对掌握水文地质条件有及其重要的作用。通过聚类分析对华蓥山地区所取水样进行聚类,取并类距离d=9将22组水样分为5类,聚类结果反映该地区的岩溶水的水化学特征,结合分类能更清楚地掌握该地区同类泉点的补径排特征,进一步研究该地区的水文地质条件。