The impact of cattle pasturing on groundwater quality in bedrock aquifers having minimal overburden

Widespread agricultural activity may threaten water quality in fractured bedrock aquifers having little overburden protection. A study in Canada improves the understanding of the potential impact of agriculture on water quality in bedrock aquifers, focusing on spatial and temporal variability of nitrate and bacteria. A research site was developed in and adjacent to a hay field where a gneissic aquifer is overlain by a thin veneer of unconsolidated glacial material. Ten wells were installed, hydraulically tested and completed as multilevel piezometers. Results of monthly sampling for nitrate, dissolved organic carbon, and E. coli show significant temporal and spatial variation in concentrations. Intensive 5-day sampling rounds conducted during baseflow and recharge conditions indicate that bacterial concentrations vary daily, with higher concentrations during recharge periods. The location of the impacted monitoring wells is correlated to an upgradient cattle pasture that is used periodically each summer. It is evident that periodic upgradient sources, dilution from recharge, and heterogeneous flow systems lead to varied and unpredictable contaminant concentrations. The temporal and spatial variability of contaminants in bedrock aquifers with minimal overburden must be considered for the protection of human health, as annual or even monthly groundwater monitoring may not capture unsafe concentrations.     

Investigating the role of hydromechanical coupling on flow and transport in shallow fractured-rock aquifers

Fractured-rock aquifers display spatially and temporally variable hydraulic conductivity generally attributed to variable fracture intensity and connectivity. Empirical evidence suggests fracture aperture and hydraulic conductivity are sensitive to in situ stress. This study investigates the sensitivity of fractured-rock hydraulic conductivity, groundwater flow paths, and advection-dominated transport to variable shear and normal fracture stiffness magnitudes for a range of deviatoric stress states. Fracture aperture and hydraulic conductivity are solved for analytically using empirical hydromechanical coupling equations; groundwater flow paths and ages are then solved for numerically using groundwater flow and advection-dispersion equations in a traditional Toth basin. Results suggest hydraulic conductivity alteration is dominated by fracture normal closure, resulting in decreasing hydraulic conductivity and increasing groundwater age with depth, and decreased depth of long flow paths with decreasing normal stiffness. Shear dilation has minimal effect on hydraulic conductivity alteration for stress states investigated here. Results are interpreted to suggest that fracture normal stiffness influences hydraulic conductivity of hydraulically active fractures and, thus, affects flow and transport in shallow (<1 km) fractured-rock aquifers. It is suggested that observed depth-dependent hydraulic conductivity trends in fractured-rock aquifers throughout the world may be partly a manifestation of hydromechanical phenomena.     

Hydraulic significance of fracture correlated lineaments in precambrian rocks in Purulia district, West Bengal

Filter analysis of lineaments in Precambrian metamorphic rocks was used to delineate fracture-correlated lineaments and hydraulically significant fractures. The unfiltered analysis technique fails to show correlation between major lineaments and fractures. Domain-based and discrete filtering techniques successfully identify fracture-correlated lineaments within the brittle-ductile shear zone in conjunction with fractures characterized by high fracture frequencies (>10/m). The locales of hydraulically significant fractures can thus be assessed if the geological controls governing the spatial distribution of fracture frequencies are computed using structural domain approach. The concurrence of fracture-correlated lineaments and hydraulically significant fractures within the brittle-ductile shear zone is evident.     

Using hydrogeochemistry to understand inter-aquifer mixing in the on-shore part of the Gippsland Basin,southeast Australia

Groundwater in the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland Basin of southeast Australia is important for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. This sedimentary basin contains a number of aquifers that are used for water supply, dewatered for open pit coal mining, and which are potentially influenced by off-shore oil and gas production. Major ion chemistry together with stable and Sr isotope data imply that the main hydrogeochemical processes are evapotranspiration with minor silicate and carbonate weathering; methanogenesis and SO₄ reduction in reduced groundwater associated with coal deposits have also occurred. Groundwater has estimated ¹⁴C ages of up to 36 ka and is largely ³H free. Carbon-14 ages are irregularly distributed and poorly correlated with depth and distance from the basin margins. The observations that the geochemistry of groundwater in aquifers with different mineralogies are similar and the distribution of ¹⁴C ages is irregular implies that the aquifers are hydraulically connected and horizontal as well as vertical inter-aquifer mixing occurs. The connection of shallow and deeper aquifers poses a risk for the groundwater resources in Gippsland as contaminants can migrate across aquifers and dewatering of shallow units may impact deeper parts of the groundwater system.     

Characterizing groundwater flow in a faulted karst system using optical brighteners from septic systems as tracers

This study used optical brighteners (OB) released from septic systems to show that groundwater flow direction is largely controlled by the structural framework in a faulted karst groundwater system. Effective protection of groundwater resources requires that groundwater systems are adequately characterized and source water protection areas (SWPA) are developed for drinking water wells. Karst aquifers are among the most sensitive to contamination due to high recharge rates, and among the most difficult aquifers to characterize due to heterogeneity, and anisotropy. Because septic systems may be used to treat wastewater within SWPAs for karst aquifers there is a need to characterize these groundwater systems using tracers. The objective of this study was to characterize groundwater flow in a faulted portion of the Edwards aquifer in Bexar County, Texas using OB that are released as incidental tracers from septic systems. This study included measurement of water levels, sampling of groundwater and surface water, analysis for OB, and spatial analysis in a GIS. Results show that OB intensities were highest to the southwest of the septic area, a direction that is sub-parallel to the fault and fracture orientation and nearly perpendicular to the hydraulic gradient. This indicates that movement of OB, solutes, or non-aqueous liquids/solids in a faulted karst system can be largely controlled by fault/fracture orientation and structural relay ramps.     

西北内陆河流域地下水循环特征与地下水资源评价

在系统梳理前人调查研究成果基础上,总结了西北内陆河流域主要的含水层特点,对山区、平原区和沙漠区的地下水循环特点进行了分析,着重对平原区地下水水流系统进行了讨论。由于西北内陆河流域地下水与地表水关系密切,形成了具有密切水力联系的含水层-河流系统,不论是上游开发地表水还是地下水,都会引起整个流域内地下水资源的强烈变化。地下水资源评价表明,西北内陆河流域地下水资源量为783亿m~3/a,其中平原区的地下水资源量为487亿m~3/a,山区与平原区的地下水资源重复量为199亿m~3/a,现状开采量为128亿m~3/a。地下水开发潜力分析表明,除柴达木盆地、塔里木盆地南缘等地区外,其他地区的地下水开采潜力有限,应通过提高水资源的利用效率来提高其承载能力。今后应加大(微)咸水资源化、地下水水库的调查研究,加强地下水的生态功能和生态需水量评价,为地下水资源的合理开发利用提供技术支撑。     

A proposal for an extended typology of groundwater habitats

Many governments now require the ecological condition of groundwater ecosystems to be considered when making policy decisions. However, groundwater habitats and communities occur at different spatial scales to those at which aquifers are managed, making their inclusion in policy decisions difficult. A system of classifying groundwater ecosystems is needed to aid this, yet such a typology is currently not available. Here, a hierarchical model for a typology of groundwater habitats is suggested, which considers three spatial scales: macro, meso, and local. On a macroscale, communities are influenced by biogeographic characteristics; at a mesoscale they are influenced by the hydrogeological type of the aquifer; and on local scale by the hydrological exchange with surface water and hence the oxygen and nutrient supply. Consequently, groundwater habitats are assumed to be defined by biogeographic particularities, the hydrogeological aquifer type and by localized hydrological exchange with surface water. By adopting a ‘groundwater habitat typology’, groundwater biologists may be able to work with hydrogeologists to assist in the sustainable management of groundwater by predicting groundwater biodiversity and the distribution of important or endangered species. The typology proposed here is a first step towards achieving this goal.     

Hydrochemical characteristics and evaluation of the granite aquifer in the Alwadeen area,southwest Saudi Arabia

This study was carried out in the Alwadeen area of Khamis Mushayt district of southwestern Saudi Arabia to evaluate the hydrochemical characteristics of the shallow hard rock aquifers. These hard rock aquifers mostly comprise granites and contain significant quantities of groundwater that complement the available groundwater from the unconsolidated alluvial sediments in the nearby wadis. The field investigation indicates two main fracture sets which intersect each other and are oriented in the west-northwest and east-west directions. The granitic rocks in the area are intruded by coarse-grained and quartz-rich monzogranite and pegmatite veins. Hydrogeologically, the fracture systems are important since they facilitate the groundwater storage and assume the transmissive function during times of groundwater abstraction. Given the fact that groundwater in the fractured rock aquifers generally occurs at shallow depths, it may be exposed to contamination from surface and/or near-surface sources, and it is therefore important to evaluate its quality. To this end, a hydrochemical analysis was carried out on six groundwater samples collected from the area. The hydrochemistry revealed that the groundwater is fairly fresh, and facies analysis reveals mixed Na-Cl and Ca-Mg-Cl-SO₄ types. Overall, the results reveal that the groundwater is saturated with calcite and dolomite, but unsaturated with gypsum and halite. The degree of salinity increases in the direction of the groundwater flow due to increased rock-water interaction.     

Modelling an inland Delta aquifer system to evolve pre-development management schemes: a case study in Upper Thamalakane River valley, Botswana, southern Africa

 Groundwater modelling studies have been found to be a potential tool in planning the pre-development management of groundwater resources in newly developing aquifer systems. One such study was attempted in Upper Thamalakane River valley, Okavango Delta, Botswana (southern Africa). There are three major aquifers separated by two aquitards in the valley portion. The top two aquifers are freshwater bearing zones and the bottom one is saline. The hydrological set-up of the basin is complex, as the groundwater flow directions are opposite in the upper-unconfined and in the lower-confined aquifers. A preliminary multilayer model was developed for this aquifer system by making use of only available data. The hydrodynamic behavior was then studied under two prediction scenarios to evolve appropriate management decisions for locating the well field (large diameter wells) in the upper aquifer by making use of induced river infiltration during the flood season. The aquifer response for variable river-flow conditions was studied and the induced river infiltration was quantified. Received: 27 August 1998 · Accepted: 8 March 1999     

The evolution of groundwater in the Tyrrell catchment, south-central Murray Basin, Victoria, Australia

The Tyrell catchment lies on the western margin of the Riverine Province in the south-central Murray Basin, one of Australia’s most important groundwater resources. Groundwater from the shallow, unconfined Pliocene Sands aquifer and the underlying Renmark Group aquifer is saline (total dissolved solids up to 150,000 mg/L) and is Na-Cl-Mg type. There is no systematic change in salinity along hydraulic gradients implying that the aquifers are hydraulically connected and mixing during vertical flow is important. Stable isotopes (¹⁸O+²H) and Cl/Br ratios indicate that groundwater is entirely of meteoric origin and salts in this system have largely been derived by evapotranspiration of rainfall with only minor halite dissolution, rock weathering (mainly feldspar dissolution), and ion exchange between Na and Mg on clays. Similarity in chemistry of all groundwater in the catchment implies relative consistency in processes over time, independent of any climatic variation. Groundwater in both the Pliocene Sands and Renmark Group aquifers yield ages of up to 25 ka. The Tyrrell Catchment is arid to semi-arid and has low topography. This has resulted in relatively low recharge rates and hydraulic gradients that have resulted in long groundwater residence times.     

A structural and geophysical approach to the study of fractured aquifers in the Scansano-Magliano in Toscana Ridge, southern Tuscany, Italy

Fresh water availability has recently become a serious concern in the Italian Apennines, as various activities rely on a predictable supply. Along the ridge between Scansano and Magliano in Toscana, in southern Tuscany, the situation is further complicated by contamination of the nearby alluvial aquifers. Aquifers locally consist of thin fractured reservoirs, generally within low-permeability formations, and it can be difficult to plan the exploitation of resources based on conventional techniques. An integrated study based on geological data investigated the link between tectonics and groundwater circulation, to better define the hydrological model. After the regional identification of fault and fracture patterns, a major structure was investigated in detail to accurately map its spatial position and to understand the geometry and properties of the associated aquifer and assess its exploitation potential. The subsurface around the fault zone was clearly imaged using ground probing radar, two-dimensional and three-dimensional resistivity tomography, and three-dimensional shallow seismic surveys. The vertical and horizontal contacts between the different geological units of the Ligurian and Tuscan series were resolved with a high degree of spatial accuracy. Three-dimensional high-resolution geophysical imaging proved to be a very effective means of characterising small-scale fractured reservoirs.     

Regional evaluation of hydraulic properties in variably fractured rock using a hydrostructural domain approach

A hydrostructural domain approach was tested and validated in fractured bedrock aquifers of the Gulf Islands, British Columbia (BC), Canada. Relative potential hydraulic properties for three hydrostructural domains in folded and faulted sedimentary rocks were derived using stochastically generated fracture data and hybrid discrete fracture network-equivalent porous media (DFN-EPM) modelling. Model-derived relative potential transmissivity values show good spatial agreement with transmissivity values obtained from pumping tests at selected sites. A spatial pattern of increasing transmissivity towards the southeast along the island chain is consistent between both datasets. Cluster analysis on relative potential permeability values obtained from a larger dataset for the region identified four clusters with geometric means of 9?×?10^?13, 4?×?10^?13, 2?×?10^–13, and 3?×?10^–14 m². The general trend is an increase in relative potential permeability toward the southeast, emulating the trends identified in the site-specific analyses. Relative potential permeability values increase with proximity to the hinge line of a regional northwest-trending asymmetric fault propagation fold structure, and with proximity to superimposed high-angle north- and northeast-trending brittle faults. The results are consistent with documented patterns of structurally controlled fluid flow and show promise for use in regional characterization of fractured bedrock aquifers.     

The effects of geological heterogeneities and piezometric fluctuations on groundwater flow and chemistry in a hard-rock aquifer, southern India

Crystalline aquifers of semi-arid southern India represent a vital water resource for farming communities. A field study is described that characterizes the hydrodynamic functioning of intensively exploited crystalline aquifers at local scale based on detailed well monitoring during one hydrological year. The main results show large water-table fluctuations caused by monsoon recharge and pumping, high spatial variability in well discharges, and a decrease of well yields as the water table decreases. Groundwater chemistry is also spatially variable with the existence of aquifer compartments within which mixing occurs. The observed variability and compartmentalization is explained by geological heterogeneities which play a major role in controlling groundwater flow and connectivity in the aquifer. The position of the water table within the fracture network will determine the degree of connectivity between aquifer compartments and well discharge. The presented aquifer conceptual model suggests several consequences: (1) over-exploitation leads to a drop in well discharge, (2) intensive pumping may contribute to the hydraulic containment of contaminants, (3) groundwater quality is highly variable even at local scale, (4) geological discontinuities may be used to assist in the location of drinking-supply wells, (5) modeling should integrate threshold effects due to water-table fluctuations.     

鄂尔多斯盆地白垩系主要含水岩组沉积岩相古地理对地下水水化学场形成和水质分布的影响

通过典型水文钻孔和露头剖面沉积地质、水文地质调查、样品测试及综合研究表明,鄂尔多斯盆地白垩系含水层形成时,北部环河组、洛河组均广泛发育河流相沉积,而南部环河组湖泊相为主、洛河组沙漠沙丘相广泛分布的沉积古地理格局,这对含水岩石中长石、粘土矿物、方解石、石膏等重要矿物组成和易溶盐含量及其空间分布形成明显控制,也控制了含水层和隔水层空间分布,并显著影响了深层地下水循环交替条件的区域分布变化。在沉积-成岩环境条件下,影响地下水水化学场形成和水质分布变化的主要水-岩作用包括硫酸盐、碳酸盐及硅酸盐矿物的溶解溶滤和阳离子交换作用等水文地球化学作用。受含水层沉积岩相古地理、地下水循环及水岩作用等因素控制,环河组、洛河组地下水总体表现为盆地北区TDS低、淡水发育、以HCO3型为主,南区TDS高、微咸水和咸水发育、以HCO3.SO4型为主的分布规律,地下水水化学和水质分布在北区分布变化小、在南区上下含水层分布变化复杂。     

Chemical parameters as natural tracers in hydrogeology: a case study of Louros karst system,Greece

The Louros Basin hosts one of the most important karst systems of Epirus Prefecture (Greece) and plays a key role in supplying three counties with drinking water. Aiming to investigate the origin of groundwater and its flow patterns, a multi-tracer approach was used to describe and evaluate the hydrogeology of the system. Therefore, 271 surface water and groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical parameters, major ions, and trace and rare earth elements, as well as stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δ²H). These data provided meaningful tracing of the water origin, water–rock interaction processes, and relationships among the aquifers. In particular, the elaboration of the major ions supported by the distribution of rare earth elements indicated that there are three aquifers located at different levels hosted in the Senonian and Pantokrator limestone formations. These aquifers are hydraulically interconnected by a cascade and constitute the Louros karst system which is drained by the homonymous river. Hydrochemical and isotopic data revealed that the Louros karst system is isolated from the adjacent northern Ioannina Basin and it is being recharged by precipitation. Higher groundwater salinity, where present, is mainly associated with increased water–rock interaction due to longer and deeper hydrologic flow, favoring the dissolution of evaporitic, carbonate and phosphate minerals.     

Detection and characterization of hydraulically active fractures in a carbonate aquifer: results from self-potential, temperature and fluid electrical conductivity logging in the Combioula hydrothermal system in the southwestern Swiss Alps

A geophysical and geochemical study has been conducted in a fractured carbonate aquifer located at Combioula in the southwestern Swiss Alps with the objective to detect and characterize hydraulically active fractures along a 260-m-deep borehole. Hydrochemical analyses, borehole diameter, temperature and fluid electrical conductivity logging data were integrated in order to relate electrokinetic self-potential signals to groundwater flow inside the fracture network. The results show a generally good, albeit locally variable correlation of variations of the self-potential signals with variations in temperature, fluid electrical conductivity and borehole diameter. Together with the hydrochemical evidence, which was found to be critical for the interpretation of the self-potential data, these measurements not only made it possible to detect the hydraulically active fractures but also to characterize them as zones of fluid gain or fluid loss. The results complement the available information from the corresponding litholog and illustrate the potential of electrokinetic self-potential signals in conjunction with temperature, fluid electrical conductivity and hydrochemical analyses for the characterization of fractured aquifers, and thus may offer a perspective for an effective quantitative characterization of this increasingly important class of aquifers and geothermal reservoirs.     

Geochemical and isotopic investigation of the aquifer system in the Djerid-Nefzaoua basin, southern Tunisia

In the Djerid-Nefzaoua region, southern Tunisia, about 80% of agricultural and domestic water supply is provided by the complex terminal (CT) aquifer. However, 20% of this demand is provided by other hydraulically connected aquifers, namely the continental intercalaire (CI) and the Plio-Quaternary (PQ). Overexploitation of the CT aquifer for agricultural practices has contributed to the loss of the artesian condition and the decline of groundwater level which largely increased the downward leakage from the shallow PQ aquifer. Excess irrigation water concentrates at different rates in the irrigation channels and in the PQ aquifer itself. Then, it returns to the CT aquifer and mixes with water from the regional flow system, which contributes to the salinization of the CT groundwater. A geochemical and isotopic study had been undertaken over a 2-years period in order to investigate the origin of waters pumped from the CT aquifer with an emphasis on its hydraulic relationships with the underlying and the overlying CI and PQ aquifers. Geochemistry indicates that groundwater samples collected from different wells show an evolution of the water types from Na-Cl to Ca-SO₄-Cl. Dissolution of halite, gypsum and anhydrite-bearing rocks is the main mechanism that leads to the salinization of the groundwater. Isotopic data indicate the old origin of all groundwater in the aquifer system. Mixing and evaporation effects characterizing the CT and the PQ aquifers were identified using δ²H and δ¹⁸O relationship and confirmed by the conjunction of δ²H with chloride concentration.     

Genesis and distribution of mineral waters as a consequence of recent lithospheric dynamics: the Rhenish Massif,Central Europe

Three major, interdependent processes control the genesis and distribution of mineral and thermal waters in the Rhenish Massif, Central Europe: (a) Magmatic processes in the upper mantle provide most of the CO₂ to produce bicarbonate waters in shallow aquifers. (b) Extension of the brittle upper crust enables the ascent of sodium chloride waters. (c) Uplift and erosion shape the massif's relief, which determines the extent of flow systems and the distribution of thermal springs. The chemistry of mineral waters further depends on the aquifers' mineral composition. A comprehensive set of hydrological, chemical, tectonic and geophysical data on the Rhenish Massif has been compiled. It was used to classify the mineral waters and to map the spatial distribution of water properties. The composition of cuttings from several representative wells producing different water types shows that the hydrothermal alteration of the aquifer rocks consists mainly of kaolinization of chlorite and dissolution of feldspar. Numerical transport simulations favour two modes of groundwater flow: topography-driven flow and the pressure-driven ascent of basement brines along active faults. Thermal convection is less important.     

Performance of a mixed-waste landfill amid geologic uncertainty—learning from a case study: Altamont Hills,California, U.S.A.

The Jharia coalfield is the most important and active minig region; it experiences groundwater inflow and affects groundwater levels in overlying aquifers, and it provides the basis for a conceptual model of the hydrogeological impacts of coal mining. The several sandstone aquifers of the overburden are separated by aquitards that limit vertical hydraulic connection, but the inflow responds to seasonal events and seems to be linked to shallow groundwater behavior. The mine drainage behavior suggests a hydraulic connection between the mine and the shallower groundwater system. The greatest declines are directly above the panels, with an immediate response to coal mining. The inflow is localized by natural and induced fracture zones and is mostly into recent workings. The groundwater behavior is controlled by hydraulic property changes caused by mine-induced fracturing. The hydrological and chemical qualities of the shallow groundwater regime in 13 mining collieries in Mukunda Block have been investigated. Water samples collected from 30 shallow monitoring dug wells were chosen for the study. Rainfall, runoff, and infiltration rates have been calculated in the area. The water-quality plottings were used to interpret the distribution of individual chemical parameters and in predicting the water quality. The underground mine water has been classified as: (1) unconfined groundwater in the calcareous siltstone and sandstone—its composition is Na, Ca, SO₄ and Na-MgHCO₃ with moderate total dissolved solids (TDS) 200–1480 ppm; (2) the deep groundwater originating from the coal seams and associated sediments in the near-surface environments—this is a Na-HCO₃ water with higher TDS; and (3) spoil dump waters are essentially Na-HCO₃ with high TDS. This article presents some hydrologic results and conclusions relating to the hydrogeological and environmental impacts of the coal mining in the Jharia coalfield.     

Geoelectrical Schlumberger investigation for characterizing the hydrogeological conditions using GIS in Omalur Taluk,Salem District,Tamil Nadu,India

The increasing demand for freshwater has necessitated the exploration for new sources of groundwater, particularly in hard rock terrain, where groundwater is a vital source of freshwater. A fast, cost effective, and economical way of exploration is to study and analyze geophysical resistivity survey data. The present study area Omalur taluk, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India, is overlain by Archaean crystalline metamorphic complex. The study area is a characteristic region of unconfined aquifer system. The potential for occurrence of groundwater in the study areas was classified as very good, good, moderate, and poor by interpreting the subsurface geophysical investigations, namely vertical electrical soundings, were carried out to delineate potential water-bearing zones. The studies reveal that the groundwater potential of shallow aquifers is due to weathered zone very low resistivity and very high thickness and the potential of deeper aquifers is determined by fracture zone very low resistivity and very high thickness area. By using conventional GIS method, the spatial distribution maps for different layer (top soil, weathered zone, first fracture zone, and second fracture zone) thicknesses were prepared. The geoelectrical approach was successfully applied in the study area and can be therefore easily adopted for similar environments.