Modeling groundwater/surface-water interactions in an Alpine valley (the Aosta Plain,NW Italy): the effect of groundwater abstraction on surface-water resources

A groundwater flow model of the Alpine valley aquifer in the Aosta Plain (NW Italy) showed that well pumping can induce river streamflow depletions as a function of well location. Analysis of the water budget showed that ～80% of the water pumped during 2 years by a selected well in the downstream area comes from the baseflow of the main river discharge. Alluvial aquifers hosted in Alpine valleys fall within a particular hydrogeological context where groundwater/surface-water relationships change from upstream to downstream as well as seasonally. A transient groundwater model using MODFLOW2005 and the Streamflow-Routing (SFR2) Package is here presented, aimed at investigating water exchanges between the main regional river (Dora Baltea River, a left-hand tributary of the Po River), its tributaries and the underlying shallow aquifer, which is affected by seasonal oscillations. The three-dimensional distribution of the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer was obtained by means of a specific coding system within the database TANGRAM. Both head and flux targets were used to perform the model calibration using PEST. Results showed that the fluctuations of the water table play an important role in groundwater/surface-water interconnections. In upstream areas, groundwater is recharged by water leaking through the riverbed and the well abstraction component of the water budget changes as a function of the hydraulic conditions of the aquifer. In downstream areas, groundwater is drained by the river and most of the water pumped by wells comes from the base flow component of the river discharge.     

Hydrogeochemical characteristics of central Jianghan Plain, China

The central Jianghan Plain is the semi-closed basin in the middle reaches of Yangtze River. A total of 78 water samples targeting groundwater were collected from 75 sites in this study site, the area between Yangtze River and Han River, including rivers and lakes for temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and ion composition measurements. Correlation matrix was used to assess the geochemical and anthropogenic processes. The most confined groundwater was grouped into HCO₃–Ca–Mg, while phreatic groundwater and surface water had a more diversified hydrochemistry. The spatial variation in overall water quality as well as comparison with WHO (World Health Organization) standards for drinking water is illustrated. Mn, As and NO₃ ^? concentrations were found to exceed the allowable limits for drinking water of WHO guidelines, and they also show remarkable spatial variations. Abnormally high nitrate concentration, up to 150–190 mg/l, was found only in phreatic groundwater, which suggested that the nitrate pollution might be caused by agricultural activities. The present study may be helpful in further studies concerning water quality issues in this area where groundwater is a vital source for drinking and other activities.     

A geochemical and stable isotope investigation of groundwater/surface-water interactions in the Velenje Basin,Slovenia

The geochemical and isotopic composition of surface waters and groundwater in the Velenje Basin, Slovenia, was investigated seasonally to determine the relationship between major aquifers and surface waters, water–rock reactions, relative ages of groundwater, and biogeochemical processes. Groundwater in the Triassic aquifer is dominated by HCO₃ ^–, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and δ¹³C_DIC indicating degradation of soil organic matter and dissolution of carbonate minerals, similar to surface waters. In addition, groundwater in the Triassic aquifer has δ¹⁸O and δD values that plot near surface waters on the local and global meteoric water lines, and detectable tritium, likely reflecting recent (<50 years) recharge. In contrast, groundwater in the Pliocene aquifers is enriched in Mg²⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, K⁺, and Si, and has high alkalinity and δ¹³C_DIC values, with low SO₄ ^2– and NO₃ ^– concentrations. These waters have likely been influenced by sulfate reduction and microbial methanogenesis associated with coal seams and dissolution of feldspars and Mg-rich clay minerals. Pliocene aquifer waters are also depleted in ¹⁸O and ²H, and have ³H concentrations near the detection limit, suggesting these waters are older, had a different recharge source, and have not mixed extensively with groundwater in the Triassic aquifer.     

Groundwater sustainability and groundwater/surface-water interaction in arid Dunhuang Basin,northwest China

The Dunhuang Basin, a typical inland basin in northwestern China, suffers a net loss of groundwater and the occasional disappearance of the Crescent Lake. Within this region, the groundwater/surface-water interactions are important for the sustainability of the groundwater resources. A three-dimensional transient groundwater flow model was established and calibrated using MODFLOW 2000, which was used to predict changes to these interactions once a water diversion project is completed. The simulated results indicate that introducing water from outside of the basin into the Shule and Danghe rivers could reverse the negative groundwater balance in the Basin. River-water/groundwater interactions control the groundwater hydrology, where river leakage to the groundwater in the Basin will increase from 3,114?×?10⁴ m³/year in 2017 to 11,875?×?10⁴ m³/year in 2021, and to 17,039?×?10⁴ m³/year in 2036. In comparison, groundwater discharge to the rivers will decrease from 3277?×?10⁴ m³/year in 2017 to 1857?×?10⁴ m³/year in 2021, and to 510?×?10⁴ m³/year by 2036; thus, the hydrology will switch from groundwater discharge to groundwater recharge after implementing the water diversion project. The simulation indicates that the increased net river infiltration due to the water diversion project will raise the water table and then effectively increasing the water level of the Crescent Lake, as the lake level is contiguous with the water table. However, the regional phreatic evaporation will be enhanced, which may intensify soil salinization in the Dunhuang Basin. These results can guide the water allocation scheme for the water diversion project to alleviate groundwater depletion and mitigate geo-environmental problem.     

桂林甑皮岩地下水与地表水的水力交互作用

桂林甑皮岩遗址地处典型的峰林平原区,面临地下水运动破坏遗址区稳定性的问题。为掌握水塘岩溶渗漏过程特征,揭示遗址保护区岩溶地下水与地表水的相互作用,保护遗址区的稳定性,分析了遗址保护区地下水与地表水的水位动态特征,并根据岩溶地下水与地表水系统的水均衡要素建立水箱模型的基本物理结构和水塘水位衰减方程,将模拟水位与实际水位对比分析,量化地表水与降雨及遗址洞地下水之间的相互关系。水塘水位动态与地下水水位动态存在水位高差、上升起点、衰减速度和峰值滞后的差异性,两者动态过程的差异反映遗址区岩溶介质的沟通能力较强;地表水渗漏过程主要控制因素是水塘底部的岩溶渗漏能力;地下水补给地表水塘的方式以主径流带管道流集中补给为主。遗址区地下水与地表水的水力交互作用表现出强烈的动态模式,地下水与地表水互相转化特征显著。地下水与地表水的水力交互有利于削弱地下水潜蚀力,缓解地下水对覆盖层的侵蚀破坏。      

Geostatistical analysis and hydrofacies simulation for estimating the spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity in the Jianghan Plain,central China

Hydrogeology Journal - This study evaluated the spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity (K) along the Han River watershed in the Jianghan Plain (China) by using different geostatistical...     

Distribution of phthalate esters in the groundwater of Jianghan plain, Hubei, China

Samples of groundwater were collected from 17 sites in the Jianghan plain in July 2007. Sixteen phthalate esters (PAEs) were detected in samples collected by using solid-phase extraction (SPE)-gas chromatography (GC). The results show that there were one or several PAEs in all the samples, and the concentrations of total PAEs ranged from 80.12 to 1882.18 ng/L. Four PAEs, i.e. di-isobutyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), bis (2-ethoxyethyl) phthalate (BEEP) and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate DEHP) were the dominant species. Among these, DIBP, DBP and DEHP concentrations were closely related to the water supply from the Yangtze River, Hanjiang River and Honghu Lake. However, the distribution of BEEP was irregular, which may be due to the application of some kind of products containing BEEP in the related areas. PAE distribution was irrelevant to the electrical conductivity and sample depth.     

江汉平原大气污染源分析

通过选择不同的环境功能区布置大气干湿沉降样点,分析重金属污染元素和有机氯农药的颗粒态与溶解态指标,计算季沉降通量和年沉降总量,了解其随季节变化的规律,分析比较不同地貌条件、不同城市及不同污染源区对其沉降的源贡献。结果表明:大气对江汉平原重金属的输入途径以降水为主;重金属元素颗粒物在平原区的沉降通量略高于岗丘地区;武汉市高于其他城市;工业污染源区明显高于一般农田区;三类污染源区相比,颗粒态为烟尘>化工尘>交通尘,溶解态为化工尘>交通尘>烟尘(个别元素除外),且大气降水中的营养元素N、K、Fe在化工工业区较为富集,而P的沉降在烟尘和化工工业区则受到一定程度的抑制。两种主要有机氯农药不同异构体间的组分关系表明本区环境中近期仍有林丹输入。     

Hydrocarbon Accumulation Process in the Marine Strata in Jianghan Plain Area,Middle China

Marine strata in the Jianghan Plain area are widely distributed with a total depth of more than 8,000 m from the Upper Sinian to the Middle Triassic. Six reservoir caprock units, named Z–∈2, ∈2–O, S, D–C, P and T1, can be identified with each epoch. The geology, stratigraphy, drilling, oil testing and other basic data as well as the measured inclusion and strontium isotope data in the study area are used in the analysis of the formation and evolution process of marine petroliferous reservoirs in the Jianghan Plain area. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the further exploration of hydrocarbons in the Jianghan Plain and reduce the risks by analyzing the key factors for hydrocarbon accumulation in the marine strata. Our findings show that in the Lower Palaeozoic hydrocarbon reservoir, oil/gas migration and accumulation chiefly occurred in the early period of the Early Yanshanian, and the hydrocarbon reservoir was destroyed in the middle–late period of the Early Yanshanian. In the Lower Triassic–Carboniferous hydrocarbon reservoir, oil/gas migration and accumulation chiefly occurred in the Early Yanshanian, and the hydrocarbon reservoir suffered destruction from the Late Yanshanian to the Early Himalayanian. The preservation conditions of the marine strata in the Jianghan Plain area have been improved since the Late Himalayanian. However, because all source beds have missed the oil/gas generation fastigium and lost the capacity to generate secondary hydrocarbon, no reaccumulation of hydrocarbons can be detected in the study area's marine strata. No industrially exploitable oil/gas reservoir has been discovered in the marine strata of Jianghan Plain area since exploration began in 1958. This study confirms that petroliferous reservoirs in the marine strata have been completely destroyed, and that poor preservation conditions are the primary factor leading to unsuccessful hydrocarbon exploration. It is safely concluded that hydrocarbon exploration in the marine strata of the study area is quite risky.     

Identifying interactions between river water and groundwater in the North China Plain using multiple tracers

Interactions between river water and groundwater have been used to help understand the movement of water and to evaluate water quality in the semi-arid area of the North China Plain (NCP). Stable isotopes, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochemistry were used to study the influence of surface water from the Xiao River on regional groundwater. Using a mass balance approach based on chloride concentrations, hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios, the average fraction of surface water recharging to groundwater was 50–60 %. CFC results indicated that the groundwater recharge age varied from 22.5 to 39.5 years. The vertical flow velocity of groundwater was estimated at about 1.8–3.5 m year^?1. Nitrate concentrations in groundwater varied from 9.42 to 156.62 mg L^?1, and exceeded 50 mg L^?1 in most aquifers shallower than 80 m bordering the Xiao River. The δ ¹⁵N-NO₃ data indicate that the major sources of nitrogen in groundwater are human sewage and animal excreta. Because groundwater is the main source of drinking water, there should be concern about public health related to the elevated nitrate concentrations in the NCP.     

江汉平原东北部地区高铁锰地下水成因与分布规律

肖港地区位于江汉平原东北部,属于大别山连片贫困区和贫水区,地下水资源较贫乏,且地下水水质不佳,水中铁锰离子含量普遍超过了国家饮用水标准。为查明高铁锰地下水成因及空间分布规律,服务区内地下水开发利用及安全供水问题,系统采集区内岩石、土壤和地下水样品,测试岩土与地下水中铁锰的含量,分析地下水中铁锰含量与含水层沉积物的铁锰含量、地下水的氧化还原条件和酸碱度之间的关系。结果表明:江汉平原东北部地区地下水中铁锰超标现象普遍存在,其中锰的超标率大于铁,第四系孔隙潜水超标最严重,铁锰最大浓度分别达到44.88 mg/L和19.21 mg/L。研究区岩土中铁锰氧化物为地下水中铁锰提供了物质来源,弱酸性、强还原环境为沉积物中铁锰的溶解释放提供了有利条件,总体上从研究区东西两侧（补给、径流区）向中部第四系孔隙潜水含水层（排泄区）,沿地下水流向Eh值、pH值逐渐减小,铁锰含量逐渐增大,形成北北东向带状分布的高铁锰地下水区。     

Arsenic pollution of groundwater and its release mechanism in the central part of the Hetao Plain, Inner Mongolia, China

Arsenic pollution of groundwater has become a serious health problem in several regions of the world. Wuyuan County located in the central part of the Hetao Plain, Inner Mongolia, is one of the most severely arsenic polluted areas. Peoples of the county have used groundwater of shallow （12-25 m） tube-well as drinking water. The groundwater is Na-HCO3 and Na-Cl type on the piper plots and aligns with steady Ca ： Mg ratio on cation diagram. The arsenic content in the water is more than 0.2 mg/L and the highest value reaches up to 0.52 mg/L. Drilling data show that Holocene sediments are divided into three zones on the basis of their color appearances; brown, grey and dark gray zones. The strata from 2m to 9-14m under the surface are mainly composed of clay and silt which are impermeable layers. The grey and dark grey zones composed of sand underlie the impermeable bed and the condition of their zones is reductive. At the depth of 30 m near the bottom of drilling, ORP of the groundwater is -300- -400 mV. The dark grey sand changes to yellow in color under the atmosphere. Under reducing environment, the color returns to its original dark grey. The characteristic color is due to amorphous or low-crystalline Fe sulfide coating sand grains. The sediments are of fluvial origin by the Yellow River. The arsenic content in the sediments is rich in fine-grained part and its values are more than 20 mg/kg in clay layer. The highest is 38 mg/kg. X-ray diffraction and macroscopic observation show that the clay layer is made of minerals such as chlorite and illite and contains high quantities of organic matter.     

Landscape controls of surface-water/groundwater interactions on shallow outwash lakes: how the long-term groundwater signal overrides interannual variability due to evaporative effects

Hydrogeology Journal - The spatial and temporal controls on variability of the relative contributions of groundwater within and between flow systems to shallow lakes in the low-relief glaciated...     

Groundwater and surface-water interactions and impacts of human activities in the Hailiutu catchment,northwest China

The interactions between groundwater and surface water have been significantly affected by human activities in the semi-arid Hailiutu catchment, northwest China. Several methods were used to investigate the spatial and temporal interactions between groundwater and surface water. Isotopic and chemical analyses of water samples determined that groundwater discharges to the Hailiutu River, and mass balance equations were employed to estimate groundwater seepage rates along the river using chemical profiles. The hydrograph separation method was used to estimate temporal variations of groundwater discharges to the river. A numerical groundwater model was constructed to simulate groundwater discharges along the river and to analyze effects of water use in the catchment. The simulated seepage rates along the river compare reasonably well with the seepage estimates derived from a chemical profile in 2012. The impacts of human activities (river-water diversion and groundwater abstraction) on the river discharge were analyzed by calculating the differences between the simulated natural groundwater discharge and the measured river discharge. Water use associated with the Hailiutu River increased from 1986 to 1991, reached its highest level from 1992 to 2000, and decreased from 2001 onwards. The reduction of river discharge might have negative impacts on the riparian ecosystem and the water availability for downstream users. The interactions between groundwater and surface water as well as the consequences of human activities should be taken into account when implementing sustainable water resources management in the Hailiutu catchment.     

Quality evaluation of groundwater in the North China Plain

This paper presents a method combining single-indicator comprehensive evaluation and influence factor identification to measure groundwater quality. This method not only reflects groundwater quality classification with clear physical significance, but also divides the possibilities of man-made pollution in regional groundwater. The paper selects 6 063 representative groundwater wells in the North China Plain to evaluate 49 groundwater inorganic and organic index and comes to a conclusion: Controlled by geological environment and hydrogeological conditions, the groundwater quality in the North China Plain deteriorates from the bottom of maintain to coastal area, with Class I to III groundwater decreasing from 49% to 3.9% while Class V groundwater increasing from 21% to 86.9%; the quality of deep groundwater is better than that of shallow groundwater; the contribution rate of manganese, total hardness, total dissolved solids and iodide in shallow groundwater to over-III type water exceeds 50%; the contribution rate of nitrite in pollution index reaches 20%; while heavy metal and organic indexes have limited impact on regional groundwater quality. The North China Plain is an important economic area in China. Over decades, it has witnessed intense human activities, and water resource quantity demanded has been far greater than quantity supplied. Due to scarce surface water resource, groundwater becomes the pillar supporting regional economic development. This has led to increasing groundwater exploitation and development. According to statistics, the exploitation degree of shallow groundwater reaches 105% in the North China Plain and 118% in the Hebei Plain; the exploitation degree of deep groundwater reaches 143% in the North China Plain and 163% in the Hebei Plain. The serious over-exploitation of groundwater brings various geological environmental problems, with the worsening of groundwater quality being a typical one. Besides impact brought by human activities, the poor quality of natural water in the North China Plain is also an important factor. Therefore, to understand the current regional groundwater quality situation and to master influence factors and influence degree can provide reliable scientific protection for regional economic development.     

Influence of surface/groundwater interaction on pollution by pesticides in farmlands of the Fucino Plain,central Italy

This paper analyses flow and transport of pesticides from the unsaturated zone to groundwater so as to predict concentration of those contaminants in the Fucino Plain’s groundwater, by site investigations and numerical simulations. Pesticides were detected in surface water (peaks of 13 μg L⁻¹) and groundwater (peaks of 0.37 μg L⁻¹). Modelling tools made it possible to identify that pattern of precipitation, organic matter content, and root thickness are the key factors involved in vertical seepage of pesticides. Numerical simulations indicated that a significant fraction of contaminants is leached from the most surficial soil layers through runoff, while only a secondary fraction is mobilised towards groundwater. Likelihood of contaminating deep groundwater is fairly low, whereas surface waters show higher susceptibility. Results of the proposed conceptual hydrogeological model show that pesticides are more likely to be entrained by mixing of stream water with shallow groundwater in periods of high water exploitation from shallow wells.     

Land subsidence caused by groundwater exploitation in the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain, China

Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain in northern Zhejiang Province, located between the Yangtze and Qiantang Rivers, is one of the regions where economic development is most rapid in China. Geological and hydrogeological surveys reveal a multi-layered aquifer system beneath the plain, which includes Holocene phreatic water layers and Pleistocene confined aquifers. Based on the historical records of groundwater extraction, groundwater levels, and ground settlement from 1964 to 2000, it is shown that ground subsidence has resulted from the continuously increasing extraction of groundwater from deep confined aquifers, and that the evolution of land subsidence can be characterized by a multifractal model. Based on this model, a set of empirical power-law relations have been established between: the land subsidence velocity and the annual groundwater extraction; groundwater drawdown and the annual land subsidence velocity; and the amount of land subsidence and the associated area of land. A set of indices are proposed for evaluating dynamic evolution of groundwater exploitation and land subsidence for the Hang-Jia-Hu Plain, from which the critical degree of evolution of land subsidence in the near future can be estimated using data on groundwater exploitation and water level changes.

An automatic ordering method for streams in surface-water/groundwater interaction modeling

The widely used groundwater flow model MODFLOW offers a range of software packages to simulate the interaction between streams and groundwater in aquifer systems. However, these existing packages lack a general method to address the chaotic simulation sequences of stream segments and require these segments to be ordered by modelers as input to the code. Therefore, it is challenging to simulate a stream network divided into a large number of segments such as a canal irrigation system. In this study, the Streamflow Automatic Routing (SAR) package was developed, and an effective method is proposed to automatically determine the segment simulation sequence. The stream segment order in the SAR input file is arbitrary, which allows modifications of the stream network by removing segments directly and adding segments at the end of the segment group. This mainly includes two processes: scanning all the outlet channels of the water system and calling the recursive algorithm for each outlet channel of the water system. The SAR package was tested using a hypothetical stream–aquifer system and applied to a complex flow field in Aiding Lake of Turpan Basin, China. In the results, a close fitting between the simulation and observations shows that the SAR package precisely simulated the exchange flux between the steams and aquifer. The SAR package can significantly improve the efficiency of simulations in a complex stream network, and it can be widely used as a subroutine package of MODFLOW in agricultural irrigation areas where rivers and canals are interlaced.