Flow and solute transport monitoring in the karst aquifer in SW Slovenia

The role of the unsaturated zone in the karst aquifer hydraulic behaviour was brought into focus in these studies of the catchment of the Hubelj spring (SW Slovenia). The variations of natural tracers in precipitation and in groundwater during a summer storm event made it possible to trace local flow and solute transport in the observed aquifer. The results produced data on the aquifer recharge, storage and discharge processes, as well as on mechanisms that affected them, which reflects a karst groundwater dynamics also at a regional scale. They point out the significance of effects of the fast preferential flow—epiflow that is the main factor controlling solute/contaminant transport towards the aquifer saturated zone. Numerous arguments indicate that the karst aquifer flow and solute transport mechanisms depend on the hydraulic behaviour of the epikarst zone.     

Seawater intrusion in the Salalah plain aquifer,Oman

Salalah is situated on a fresh water aquifer that is replenished during the annual monsoon season. The aquifer is the only source of water in Salalah city. The rainfall and mist precipitation in the Jabal AlQara recharges the plain with significant renewable fresh groundwater that has allowed agricultural and industrial development to occur. In Salalah city where groundwater has been used extensively since the early 1980s for agricultural, industrial and municipal purposes, the groundwater has been withdrawn from the aquifer more rapidly than it can be replenished by natural recharge. The heavy withdrawal of large quantities of the groundwater from the aquifer has led to the intrusion of seawater. Agricultural activities utilize over 70% of the groundwater. For the study of the saltwater intrusion, the area has been divided into four strips, A, B, C and D, on the basis of land-use in the area. Water samples were collected from 18 water wells. Chemical analysis of major ions and pollution parameters in the groundwater was carried out and compared to the previous observed values. The electrical conductivity and chloride concentrations were highest in the agricultural and residential strips and Garziz grass farm. Before 1992 the aquifer was in a steady state, but presently (2005) the groundwater quality in most of the agricultural and residential strips does not meet drinking water standards. In addition, model simulations were developed with the computer code MODFLOW and MT3DMS for solute transport to determine the movement of the freshwater/saltwater interface. The study proposes the protection of the groundwater in Salalah plain aquifer from further encroachment by artificial recharge with reclaimed water, preferably along the Salalah coastal agricultural strip. This scheme can also be applied to other regions with similar conditions.     

Sustainable multivariate analysis for land use management in El-Sharkiya,Egypt

In Egypt, major sustainability variables could be identified as scarce of soil and water resources, environmental degradation, rapid population growth, institutional arrangement that includes land tenure and farm fragmentation, agricultural administration, lack of infrastructure, and credit utilization. The main objective of the current work is to evaluate the sustainable land use management (SLM) model through biophysics and socioeconomic elements for the purpose of combating sustainability constraints that preclude the agricultural development geospatially. In this research, from the geomorphologic point of view, the obtained results showed three main landscapes. They were identified in the study area as: fluviolacustrine plain, Aeolian deposits, and flood plain. The study area was dominated by some physical and chemical degradation processes with different scales breaking down the equilibrium of soil stability. The SLM model was implemented and assessed from multivariate perspective points of productivity, security, protection, economic viability, and social acceptability. Four SLM classes were outlined as follows: class I, land management practices that did meet sustainability requirements with a score ≥0.65, which represented 31.0 % of the considered agricultural study area; class II, land management practices that were marginally above the sustainability threshold and represented 12.6 %; class III, land management practices that were slightly below the threshold of sustainability and represented 8.60 %; class IV, land management practices that did not meet sustainability requirements with index values >0.1 that represented 47.86 %. As a general conclusion, it is found that land management practices tend to be unsustainable in the area under investigation for certain constraints that play motivated roles in lowering the targeted land sustainability.     

Integrated hydrochemical assessment of the Quaternary alluvial aquifer of the Guadalquivir River, southern Spain

The alluvial aquifer of the Guadalquivir River comprises shallow Quaternary deposits located in the central-eastern part of the Province of Jaén in southern Spain, where groundwater resources are used mainly for crop irrigation in an important agricultural area. In order to establish the baseline hydrochemical conditions and processes determining the groundwater quality, groundwater and river water samples were collected as part of an integrated investigation that coupled multivariate statistical analysis with hydrochemical methods to identify and interpret the groundwater chemistry of the aquifer system. Three main hydrochemical types (Mg–Ca–HCO₃, Ca–Mg–SO₄–HCO₃–Cl and Na–Ca–Mg–Cl–SO₄) were identified. Further interpretation, using R-mode principal components analysis (PCA) conducted with 13 hydrochemical variables, identified two principal components which explain ⅔ of the variance in the original data. In combination with the hydrochemical interpretation, mineralogical analyses of the aquifer sediment together with inverse geochemical modelling using NETPATH showed that dedolomitization (calcite precipitation and dolomite dissolution driven by gypsum dissolution) is the principal hydrochemical process controlling the regional groundwater chemistry. Other processes such as silicate weathering, ion exchange, mixing between river water and groundwater, and agricultural practices also affect the groundwater chemistry.     

Experimental and Modelling Approaches for the Assessment of Chemical Impacts of Leachate Migration from Landfills: A Case Study of a Site on the Triassic Sandstone Aquifer in the UK East Midlands

Current risk-based methods for assessing the effects of landfill leachate migration on groundwater resources are conservative and generalised. Cost-effective and practical strategies are required which can robustly determine the potential for contaminant attenuation on a site-specific basis. In this paper laboratory column experiments and reactive transport modelling are evaluated as a combined approach for assessing the chem’ical impact of leachate migration in the Triassic Sandstone aquifer. The results are compared with field data for a landfill in the East Midlands. Columns of aquifer sandstone were flushed sequentially with groundwater, followed by acetogenic or methanogenic leachate to simulate chemical interactions occurring during leachate loading episodes. The key contaminants in leachate (NH₄, heavy metals, organic fractions) were attenuated by ion exchange, redox reactions, sorption and degradation. These processes produce a consistent hydrochemical signature which may help identify the extent of leachate migration in the aquifer. The laboratory results largely replicate those found in the field system, and the behaviour of inorganic contaminants during leachate flushing of the aquifer columns can be described by the reactive transport model. The experimental and modelling approach presented represents a powerful tool for risk assessment and prediction of leachate contaminant fate at unlined and lined landfills.     

The effect of aquifer heterogeneity on natural attenuation rate of BTEX

Monitored natural attenuation can be a viable option for remediation of groundwater contamination by BTEX compounds. Under the field conditions, the rate of contaminant mass attenuation through natural processes, such as biodegradation, to a large extent affected by the groundwater flow regime, which is primarily controlled by the aquifer heterogeneity. Numerical simulation techniques were used to describe quantitatively the relationship between biodegradation rate of BTEX and aquifer heterogeneity. Different levels of aquifer heterogeneity were described by random hydraulic conductivity fields (K) having different statistical parameters, the coefficient of variation (CV) and the correlation length (h). The Turning Bands Algorithm was used to generate such K fields. Visual MODFLOW/RT3D was used to simulate the fate and transport of dissolved BTEX plume within heterogeneous aquifers. The multispecies reactive transport approach described BTEX degradation using multiple terminal electron-accepting processes. First-order biodegradation rate constants were calculated from simulated BTEX plumes in heterogeneous flow fields. The results showed that aquifer heterogeneity significantly affected biodegradation rate; it decreased with increasing CV when h was in the range of up to 12 m, whereas it increased with increasing CV when h was greater than about 12 m. For well characterized aquifers, this finding could be of great value in assessing the effectiveness of natural attenuation during feasibility studies at BTEX contaminated sites.     

Two-dimensional numerical finite volume modeling of processes controlling distribution and natural attenuation of BTX in the saturated zone of a simulated semi-confined aquifer

This paper presents a two-dimensional finite volume model to predict multi-species reactive transport processes in the saturated zone of a simulated semi-confined aquifer. A multipurpose commercial software called PHOENICS was used to solve model equations numerically. Capability of the present model was first confirmed using experimental data and the results obtained by a published one-dimensional finite element reactive transport model by other researchers taking different scenarios into consideration. The model was then expanded to a two-dimensional case to simulate reactive transport of BTX compounds with discontinuous source in the saturated zone of the groundwater flow system. In addition to the physical transport processes, the two-dimensional model also incorporates linear and nonlinear adsorption isotherms, first order and Monod kinetics. The two-dimensional model considers both static and dynamics modes into account. The results show that considering chemical reactions during reactive transport of contaminants could successfully predict the contaminated zone. The results of such studies can be used for monitoring of contaminated areas, designing methods to control pollution transport, and minimize its harmful effects on aquifer systems.     

Impact of agricultural activity and lithology on groundwater quality in the Merdja area, Tebessa, Algeria

This work presents results of the hydrogeological and hydrochemical studies on groundwater samples from the alluvial aquifer of Merdja in Tébessa, located in the Western part of this town. Its groundwater resources are used mainly for crop irrigation in an agriculture dominated area. Hydrochemical and water quality data obtained through a sampling period (December 2008) and analysis program indicate that nitrate pollution can be a serious problem affecting groundwater due to the use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture. The concentration of nitrate in groundwater ranged from 19 to 281 mg/l. Considerable seasonal fluctuations in groundwater quality were observed as a consequence of agricultural practices and other factors such as annual rainfall distribution and the wadi El Kebir flow regime. The chemical composition of the water is not only influenced by agricultural practices, but also by interaction with the alluvial sediments. The dissolution of evaporites accounts for part of the Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^?, SO ₄ ^2? , Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺, but other processes, such as calcite precipitation and dedolomitization, also contribute to groundwater chemistry.     

北京市朝阳区沙子营垃圾污染物在潜水含水层中迁移规律的现场模拟实验

选择北京平原区水文地质、环境地质等方面都比较典型的沙子营垃圾堆放场,建立了其水文地质模型。在充分收集资料、分析得出部分计算所需参数后,采用现场弥散实验、勘查取样测试等方法,求得了该含水层的弥散系数等参数;用二维非稳定流溶质运移方程对污染物在此含水层中的迁移扩散规律、速度和污染范围等进行了模拟计算;采用现场钻探、取样测试分析等方法,评价了该含水层的实际污染状况。实验模拟计算和现场调查结果表明:污染物在潜水含水层中的运移规律遵循二维非稳定流场中的溶质运移方程,污染物在潜水含水层中的运移速度约为86.25m/a,迁移扩散主要发生在地下水流向上,侧向扩散宽度极小,是地下水流向上的1/17。     

Water table fluctuation analyses and associated empirical approach to predict spatial distribution of water table at Yeşilköy/AgiosAndronikos aquifer

The groundwater of the deep Ye?ilköy aquifer is the only water resource for agricultural and domestic consumption at the Karpaz Peninsula of Cyprus, which stretches approximately 100 km from the northeast of capital Nicosia to the northern tip of Cyprus. During the last decade, over-pumping and following dry periods have depleted the groundwater resources and the water surface elevation of the aquifer has dropped. The aim of this study is to understand the behavior of the Ye?ilköy aquifer in the last decade for the proper management of groundwater resources. This has been achieved based on well survey and field survey studies, monitoring programs followed by pumping tests, and safe yield analysis. Most of the research effort has been focused on field and well survey studies to quantify agricultural water consumption and abstraction rates from the aquifer. A long-term groundwater level monitoring program, short-term continuous groundwater monitoring and pumping tests provided information for the regression analyses while deriving a sixth order polynomial relationship between the period parameter and the head parameter. The equation was helpful to predict the short-term behavior of the water level when the present hydrogeological conditions prevail. The pumping test results satisfied the hydraulic properties of calcarenite formation yielding T = 1,782 m²/day and S = 0.0012. The results of safe yield analysis show that the annual deficit of the aquifer is 0.496 million cubic meters (MCM), which is equivalent to a 0.6 m drop in groundwater levels per year. Finally, the resultant annual safe yield of the aquifer is estimated as 0.84 MCM.     

Experimental and numerical study of pollution process in an aquifer in relation to a garbage dump field

The water quality of shallow aquifers that have direct relationship to human heath and ecological safety has been seriously threatened by widespread dumping of industrial solid waste, urban and rural garbage. A garbage dump field with hydrogeological, environ-geological characteristics typical of the Beijing plain was selected for investigation. A hydrogeological model was constructed and the equations used to describe pollutant transport in one-dimensional (1D) steady, uniform groundwater flow to investigate the transport/diffusion processes. In addition to the coefficients for calculation, diffusion coefficient and other coefficients of the aquifer were obtained by conducting in situ diffusion experiments and sample tests. Velocity and scope of pollutant transport/diffusion process were calculated. Accordingly, the real pollution situation in the aquifer was evaluated through in situ drilling and sample testing. Transport/diffusion processes of pollutants within the aquifer abide by the solute equation applicable to 1D steady flow. The transport and diffusion dominate in the direction of groundwater flowing at a speed of about 120 m per year. Comparably, the lateral diffusive width is much smaller. Pollution degree decreases by the law of Y=1.08 exp(33.533/X), where Y is the distance from the garbage dump field and X is the overall pollution index.     

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.     

Groundwater salinization of the Sfax superficial aquifer,Tunisia

Groundwater salinization has become a crucial environmental problem worldwide and is considered the most widespread form of groundwater contamination. The origin of salinity in the coastal aquifer of the Sfax Basin, Tunisia was investigated by means of chemical analyses of groundwater samples from 65 wells. The groundwater samples present a clear gradation from calcium sulphate salinization to that of sodium chloride. The saturation indices for calcite and gypsum, and binary diagrams of different ions, together with multivariate analysis, indicate the existence of various salinization processes such as: dissolution of gypsum and calcite dispersed through the reservoir rock; ion exchange; intensive agricultural practices that produce effluents that infiltrate to the saturated zone; and sea-water intrusion, enhanced by excessive withdrawal of groundwater.     

水—岩相互作用研究的机遇与挑战

简要回顾水—岩相互作用研究的历史, 它基本经历了一个从水—岩相互作用, 到水—岩—有机物相互作用, 最后到水—岩—气—有机物—微生物相互作用研究的发展历程.近年来, 除基础地质及与矿产资源有关的课题继续深入外, 地下水环境演化与全球变化、含水系统中微量变价元素的迁移、转化与富集、地下水环境污染治理与修复、废物地质处置与CO₂封存等, 已经成为水—岩相互作用领域的研究热点.随着物理、化学、生物等领域中各种新理论和新方法的不断应用, 水—岩相互作用研究面临着新的机遇和挑战, 主要包括: 地下水系统中生物地球化学过程研究、水—岩相互作用中微观机理与宏观地球化学过程的耦合, 以及水—岩相互作用中的同位素分馏及应用等.      

A regional-scale groundwater flow model for the Leon-Chinandega aquifer,Nicaragua

Groundwater flow in the Leon-Chinandega aquifer was simulated using transient and steady-state numerical models. This unconfined aquifer is located in an agricultural plain in northwest Nicaragua. Previous studies were restricted to determining groundwater availability for irrigation, overlooking the impacts of groundwater development. A sub-basin was selected to study the groundwater flow system and the effects of groundwater development using a numerical groundwater flow model (Visual MODFLOW). Hydrological parameters obtained from pumping tests were related to each hydrostratigraphic unit to assign the distribution of parameter values within each model layer. River discharge measurements were crucial for constraining recharge estimates and reducing the non-uniqueness of the model calibration. Steady-state models have limited usefulness because of the major variation of recharge and agricultural pumping during the wet and dry seasons. Model results indicate that pumping induces a decrease in base flow, depleting river discharge. This becomes critical during dry periods, when irrigation is highest. Transient modeling indicates that the response time of the aquifer is about one hydrologic year, which allows the development of management strategies within short time horizons. Considering further development of irrigated agriculture in the area, the numerical model can be a powerful tool for water resources management.     

Assessing seasonal variations and aquifer vulnerability in coastal aquifers of semi-arid regions using a multi-tracer isotopic approach: the case of Grombalia (Tunisia)

The Grombalia aquifer (NE Tunisia) is an example of an important source of water supply for regional and national development, where the weak controls over abstraction, fertilizer application and waste disposal, coupled with limited knowledge of aquifer dynamics, is causing aquifer over-exploitation and water quality degradation. Assessing the key role of groundwater in water-resources security is therefore of paramount importance to support new actions to preserve water quality and quantity in the long-run. This study presents one of the first investigations targeted at a complete assessment of aquifer dynamics in the Grombalia aquifer. A multi-tracer hydrogeochemical and isotopic (δ²H, δ¹⁸O and ³H) approach was used to study the influence of seasonal variation on piezometric levels, chemical and isotopic compositions, and groundwater recharge. A total of 116 samples were collected from private wells and boreholes during three periods in a 1 year monitoring campaign (February–March 2014, September 2014 and February 2015). Results revealed the overall unsuitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes (NO₃?>?50 mg/L in 51% of the wells; EC >1,000 μS/cm in 99% of the wells). Isotopic balance coupled to piezometric investigation indicated the contribution of the shallow aquifer to deep groundwater recharge. The study also revealed the weakness of ‘business as usual’ management practices, highlighting possible solutions to tackle water-related challenges in the Grombalia region, where climate change, population growth and intensive agricultural activities have generated a large gap between demand and available water reserves, hence becoming a possible driver for social insecurity.     

Tracing of water movement through the unsaturated zone of a coarse gravel aquifer by means of dye and deuterated water

To better understand the movement and transport of water and pollution through the coarse gravel unsaturated zone, the presented research was conducted to estimate water flow and transport processes with a tracing experiment in a lysimeter in the Selniška Dobrava. A combined tracing experiment was performed with deuterated water and the fluorescent dye—uranine. The fastest and dominant flow velocities were calculated based on injection time, the first tracer appearance time and the time of highest concentration. Mean flow velocity and vertical dispersion were estimated by an analytical best-fit method using one-dimensional convection–dispersion model. Deuterium was confirmed as an ideal conservative tracer and a more suitable tracer than dye (uranine) for the study of water flow in the unsaturated zone of a coarse gravel aquifer. The retardation factor of the dye as compared with deuterium was 1.13–1.75, which is in agreement with previously published results. Artificial tracers, especially deuterated water, were also identified as a very useful tool to assess other properties and differences in water flow in the unsaturated zone of a coarse gravel aquifer such as velocity and dispersion.     

Effect of the addition of granitic powder to an acidic soil from Galicia (NW Spain) in comparison with lime

The impact of diffuse pollution, agricultural land use and climate change on the long-term response of subsurface–surface water quality is not well understood, but is a prerequisite for evaluation of water management options. The goal of this study is to model geochemical evolution of water chemistry from the infiltration through soil into the unsaturated zone, transport through bedrocks and granular aquifers to a river in order to identify zones of steep concentration gradients and high dynamics under transient flow conditions. A numerical model was constructed comprising a 2-D 1,500 m × 150 m vertical cross-section of typical sedimentary rock formations, a glacio-fluvial quaternary gravel aquifer in the valley and soil layers. The model coupled saturated/un-saturated flow and reactive transport under steady state and transient conditions. Geochemical interactions, include intra-aqueous kinetic reactions of oxygen with dissolved organic matter, as well as kinetics of carbonate dissolution/precipitation. This model section was chosen to provide insight in to the principal processes and time scales affecting water chemistry along different flow paths. The numerical simulator MIN3P was used, a finite volume program for variably saturated subsurface flow and multi-component reactive transport. The results show that subsurface water residence times range from approximately 2 to 2,000 years. Different zones are to be expected with respect to the development of mineral equilibria; namely, purely atmospherically influenced, as well as open and closed system carbonate dissolution. Short-term responses to daily averaged changes in precipitation, however, are only visible to some extent in the shallower and near-river parts of flow system and solute loads. This can most likely be explained by directional changes in flow paths, indicating that equilibrium geochemical condition predominate at the hillslope scale, i.e. water quality depends on transport pathways rather than on kinetic effects. The extent of reducing conditions is controlled by the presence of organic-rich layers (i.e. peat deposits), the dissolution kinetics of aquifer organic matter and the subsequent mixing with oxygenated water by hydrodynamic dispersion.     

A Janus-faced biodiversity change and the partiality of ecological knowledge in a world biodiversity hotspot in Ghana: Implications for biodiversity rehabilitation

The Gyamfiase-Adenya-Obom cluster of villages in the forest-savanna region of Ghana is located within one of Conservation International’s 34 “World Biodiversity Hotspots” of the most biodiversity-threatened regions of the world. In collaboration with local farmers in this area since 1993, the People, Land Management and Ecological Change Project in Ghana (PLEC-Ghana) has been working on promoting biodiversity rehabilitation to address problems of biodiversity change. This goal is expected to be achieved through agrobiodiversity or biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices. However, farmers’ employment of these practices has been lackluster, even while they acknowledge biodiversity changes, dominated by Chromolaena odorata and other herbaceous species, that are driving the decline in forests and their biodiversity. In interpreting the difficulties of biodiversity rehabilitation in Gyamfiase-Adenya-Obom, this study outlines the diverging ecological knowledge of non-residents/outsiders and local farmers about biodiversity change, which it describes as Janus-like with two diverging faces. One face of biodiversity change shows the detrimental impacts on biodiversity and its observers—non-residents/outsiders—insist on biodiversity rehabilitation that nurtures forests, and the growth and domination of tree species. The other face of biodiversity change shows its agronomic advantages and its observers—the local farmers—are skeptical of current biodiversity rehabilitation practices. Farmers see agronomic benefits in biodiversity change, in particular the benefit of faster soil regeneration within the predominant bush fallow system of farming. And as a result of this observation, farmers continue with practices that sustain a decline in forests and biodiversity. Based on social and ecological research that explores three biodiversity-friendly practices promoted by PLEC-Ghana (fallow management, mulching, and intensive weeding to protect tree seedlings), this article discusses the partiality of ecological perspectives that emphasize either face of biodiversity change but not both, and the implications for biodiversity rehabilitation.     

Solute transport modelling for assessing the duration of river flow to improve the groundwater quality in an intensively irrigated deltaic region

Groundwater modelling is an important management tool to study the behaviour of aquifer system under various hydrological stresses. Present study was carried out in deltaic regions of the Cauvery river, with an objective of estimating the minimum river flow required to improve the groundwater quality by numerical modelling. Cauvery river delta is the most productive agricultural plains of south India, but the agricultural activities during the last few decades have decreased due to limited flow in the river and increasing concentration of solutes in groundwater in the eastern parts. In order to understand the causes for increasing concentration, a three-layered finite-difference flow model was formulated to simulate the groundwater head and solute transport. The model was used to simulate the groundwater flow and solute transport for 5 years from July 2007 to June 2012. There was a fairly good agreement between the computed and observed groundwater heads. The chloride and nitrate ions were considered for solute transport modelling. Observed and simulated temporal variation in chloride and nitrate concentrations were comparable. The simulated solute concentrations from July 2007 to June 2012 showed an accumulation of solutes in groundwater of coastal part of the study area. The model was used to find the flow to be maintained in the river and rainfall recharge required to flush the ions into the sea. This can be achieved by maintaining minimal flow in the river and through regulation of fertilizer use as well as by creating awareness of sustainable use of groundwater in this area.