A high‐altitude temporary spring in a compartmentalized carbonate aquifer: the role of low‐permeability faults and karst conduits

The aim of this research was to refine the actual conceptual model related to the activation of high‐altitude temporary springs within the carbonate Apennines in southern Italy. The research was carried out through geophysical, hydrogeological, hydrochemical and isotopic investigations at the Acqua dei Faggi experimental site during five hydrologic years. The research demonstrated that, in carbonate aquifers where low‐permeability faults cause the aquifer system to be compartmentalized, high‐altitude temporary springs may be recharged by groundwater. In such settings, neither surface water infiltration in karst systems nor perched temporary aquifers play a role of utmost importance. The rare (once or a few time a year) activation of such springs is due to the fact that groundwater unusually reach the threshold head that allows the spring to flow. The activation of the studied high‐altitude temporary spring also depended on relationships between a low‐permeability fault core and a karst system that locally interrupts the low‐permeability barrier. In fact, when the hydraulic head did not reach the karst system, the concentrated head loss within the fault core did not allow the spring to flow, because the groundwater entirely flowed through the fault towards the downgradient compartment. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inferring source waters from measurements of carbonate spring response to storms

We infer information about the nature of groundwater flow within a karst aquifer from the physical and chemical response of a spring to storm events. The spring discharges from the Maynardville Limestone in Bear Creek Valley, Tennessee. Initially, spring discharge peaks approximately 1–2 h from the midpoint of summer storms. The initial peak is likely due to surface loading, which pressurizes the aquifer and results in water moving out of storage. All of the storms monitored exhibited recessions that follow a master recession curve very closely, indicating that storm response is fairly consistent and repeatable, independent of the time between storms and the configuration of the rain event itself. Electrical conductivity initially increases for 0.5–2.9 days (longer for smaller storms), the result of moving older water out of storage. This is followed by a 2.1–2.5 day decrease in conductivity, resulting from an increasing portion of low conductivity recharge water entering the spring. Stable carbon isotope data and the calcite saturation index of the spring water also support this conceptual model. Spring flow is likely controlled by displaced water from the aquifer rather than by direct recharge through the soil zone.     

Transport and Variability of Fecal Bacteria in Carbonate Conglomerate Aquifers

Clastic sedimentary rocks are generally considered non‐karstifiable and thus less vulnerable to pathogen contamination than karst aquifers. However, dissolution phenomena have been observed in clastic carbonate conglomerates of the Subalpine Molasse zone of the northern Alps and other regions of Europe, indicating karstification and high vulnerability, which is currently not considered for source protection zoning. Therefore, a research program was established at the Hochgrat site (Austria/Germany), as a demonstration that karst‐like characteristics, flow behavior, and high vulnerability to microbial contamination are possible in this type of aquifer. The study included geomorphologic mapping, comparative multi‐tracer tests with fluorescent dyes and bacteria‐sized fluorescent microspheres, and analyses of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in spring waters during different seasons. Results demonstrate that (1) flow velocities in carbonate conglomerates are similar as in typical karst aquifers, often exceeding 100 m/h; (2) microbial contaminants are rapidly transported toward springs; and (3) the magnitude and seasonal pattern of FIB variability depends on the land use in the spring catchment and its altitude. Different groundwater protection strategies that currently applied are consequently required in regions formed by karstified carbonatic clastic rocks, taking into account their high degree of heterogeneity and vulnerability.     

Studying the Flow Dynamics of a Karst Aquifer System with an Equivalent Porous Medium Model

The modeling of groundwater flow in karst aquifers is a challenge due to the extreme heterogeneity of its hydraulic parameters and the duality in their discharge behavior, that is, rapid response of highly conductive karst conduits and delayed drainage of the low‐permeability fractured matrix after recharge events. There are a number of different modeling approaches for the simulation of the karst groundwater dynamics, applicable to different aquifer as well as modeling problem types, ranging from continuum models to double continuum models to discrete and hybrid models. This study presents the application of an equivalent porous model approach (EPM, single continuum model) to construct a steady‐state numerical flow model for an important karst aquifer, that is, the Western Mountain Aquifer Basin (WMAB), shared by Israel and the West‐Bank, using MODFLOW2000. The WMAB was used as a catchment since it is a well‐constrained catchment with well‐defined recharge and discharge components and therefore allows a control on the modeling approach, a very rare opportunity for karst aquifer modeling. The model demonstrates the applicability of equivalent porous medium models for the simulation of karst systems, despite their large contrast in hydraulic conductivities. As long as the simulated saturated volume is large enough to average out the local influence of karst conduits and as long as transport velocities are not an issue, EPM models excellently simulate the observed head distribution. The model serves as a starting basis that will be used as a reference for developing a long‐term dynamic model for the WMAB, starting from the pre‐development period (i.e., 1940s) up to date.     

Improved understanding of dynamic water and mass budgets of high-alpine karst systems obtained from studying a well-defined catchment area

Large areas of Europe, especially in the Alps, are covered by carbonate rocks and in many alpine regions, karst springs are important sources for drinking water supply. Because of their high variability and heterogeneity, the understanding of the hydrogeological functioning of karst aquifers is of particular importance for their protection and utilisation. Climate change and heavy rainfall events are major challenges in managing alpine karst aquifers which possess an enormous potential for future drinking water supply. In this study, we present research from a high-alpine karst system in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Großes Walsertal in Austria, which has a clearly defined catchment and is drained by only one spring system. Results show that (a) the investigated system is a highly dynamic karst aquifer with distinct reactions to rainfall events in discharge and electrical conductivity; (b) the estimated transient atmospheric CO₂ sink is about 270 t/a; (c) the calculated carbonate rock denudation rate is between 23 and 47 mm/1000a and (d) the rainfall-discharge behaviour and the internal flow dynamics can be successfully simulated using the modelling package KarstMod. The modelling results indicate the relevance of matrix storage in determining the discharge behaviour of the spring, particularly during low-flow periods. This research and the consequent results can contribute and initiate a better understanding and management of alpine karst aquifers considering climate change with more heavy rainfall events and also longer dry periods.     

Quantifying peakflow attenuation/amplification in a karst river using the diffusive wave model with lateral flow

The aim of this paper is to quantify peakflow attenuation and/or amplification in a river, investigating lateral flow from the intermediate catchment during floods. This is a challenge for the study of the hydrological response of permeable/intermittent streams, and our contribution refers to a modelling framework based on the inverse problem for the diffusive wave model applied in a karst catchment. Knowing the upstream and downstream hydrographs on a reach between two stations, we can model the lateral one, given information on the hydrological processes involved in the intermediate catchment. The model is applied to 33 flood events in the karst reach of the Iton River in French Normandy where peakflow attenuation is observed. The monitored zone consists of a succession of losing and gaining reaches controlled by strong surface‐water/groundwater (SW/GW) interactions. Our results show that despite a high baseflow increase in the reach, peakflow is attenuated. Model application shows that the intensity of lateral outflow for the flood component is linked to upstream discharge. A combination of river loss and overbank flow for highest floods is proposed for explaining the relationships. Our approach differentiates the role of outflow (river loss and overbank flow) and that of wave diffusion on peakflow attenuation. Based on several sets of model parameterization, diffusion is the main attenuation process for most cases, despite high river losses of up to several m³/s (half of peakflow for some parameterization strategies). Finally, this framework gives new insight into the SW/GW interactions during floods in karst basins, and more globally in basins characterized by disconnected river‐aquifer systems.     

Using Stormwater Hysteresis to Characterize Karst Spring Discharge

Discharge from karst springs contains a mixture of conduit and matrix water, but the variations in groundwater mixing are poorly known. Storm events present an opportunity to try to map flow components because water entering during storms is more dilute and provides a tracer as it mixes with pre‐event water along the flowpath from the recharge area to discharge at a spring. We used hysteresis plots of Mg/Ca ratios in a spring in the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania to map conduit (higher Ca) vs. diffuse (higher Mg) sources of recharge. We observed two types of temporal heterogeneity: within a storm event and from storm to storm. The timing of the variation in Mg/Ca suggested sources of mixing waters. An increase in the Mg/Ca ratio at the beginning of some storms while conductivity declined suggested diffuse recharge through the epikarst. The rapid changes in Mg/Ca ratios for low‐intensity events probably occurred as the rainfall waxed and waned and illustrate that a variety of flowpaths are available at this spring because additional flushing of Mg occurred. In contrast, the conductivity hysteresis began with dilute water initially and rotation was similar from storm to storm. Hysteresis plots of the Mg/Ca ratio have the potential of revealing more of the complexity in discharge than conductivity alone. A better understanding of flow components in karst is needed to protect these aquifers as a groundwater resource.     

Estimating groundwater recharge for an arid karst system using a combined approach of time‐lapse camera monitoring and water balance modelling

Groundwater is the principal water resource in semi‐arid and arid environments. Therefore, quantitative estimates of its replenishment rate are important for managing groundwater systems. In dry regions, karst outcrops often show enhanced recharge rates compared with other surface and sub‐surface conditions. Areas with exposed karst features like sinkholes or open shafts allow point recharge, even from single rainfall events. Using the example of the As Sulb plateau in Saudi Arabia, this study introduces a cost‐effective and robust method for recharge monitoring and modelling in karst outcrops. The measurement of discharge of a representative small catchment (4.0 · 10⁴ m²) into a sinkhole, and hence the direct recharge into the aquifer, was carried out with a time‐lapse camera. During the monitoring period of two rainy seasons (autumn 2012 to spring 2014), four recharge events were recorded. Afterwards, recharge data as well as proxy data about the drying of the sediment cover are used to set up a conceptual water balance model. The model was run for 17 years (1971 to 1986 and 2012 to 2014). Simulation results show highly variable seasonal recharge–precipitation ratios between 0 and 0.27. In addition to the amount of seasonal precipitation, this ratio is influenced by the interannual distribution of rainfall events. Overall, an average annual groundwater recharge for the doline (sinkhole) catchment on As Sulb plateau of 5.1 mm has estimated for the simulation period. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distinct export dynamics for dissolved and particulate phosphorus reveal independent transport mechanisms in an arable headwater catchment

This paper investigates particulate phosphorus (PP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations at the outlet of a small (5 km²) intensively farmed catchment to identify seasonal variability of sources and transport pathways for these two phosphorus forms. The shape and direction of discharge‐concentration hystereses during floods were related to the hydrological conditions in the catchment during four hydrological periods. Both during flood events and on an annual basis, contrasting export dynamics highlighted a strong decoupling between SRP and PP export. During most flood events, discharge‐concentration hystereses for PP were clockwise, indicating mobilization of a source located within or near the stream channel. Seasonal variability of PP export was linked to the availability of stream sediments and the export capacity of the stream. In contrast, hysteresis shapes for SRP were anticlockwise, which suggests that SRP was transferred to the stream via subsurface flow. Groundwater rise in wetland soils was likely the cause of this transfer, through the hydrological connectivity it created between the stream and P‐rich soil horizons. SRP concentrations were the highest when the relative contribution of deep groundwater from the upland domain was low compared with wetland groundwater. Hence, soils from non‐fertilized riparian wetlands seemed to be the main source of SRP in the catchment. This conceptual model of P transfer with distinct hydrological controls for PP and SRP was valid throughout the year, except during spring storm events, during which PP and SRP exports were synchronized as a consequence of overland flow and erosion on hillslopes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrogeological characterization of groundwater storage and drainage in an alpine karst aquifer (the Kanin massif,Julian Alps)

The Kanin massif is an important trans‐boundary aquifer, which stretches between Slovenia and Italy. The groundwater is only partially exploited, mainly for water supply, but the aquifer exhibits great potential for future exploitation. Since no consistent regional overview of the hydrogeological functioning of the Kanin massif was available, the decision was made to perform a study of this area, using a pragmatic approach based on 3D geological and hydrogeological modelling. The so‐called KARSYS approach was applied, with the aim of characterizing the groundwater reserves within this karst massif and of locating the main drainage axes that carry groundwater from the recharge areas to the respective springs. Delineation of the catchment areas of the corresponding springs was carried out, and some new explanations were obtained, especially with regard to the Mo?nica spring, which is located in Slovenia and forms a potential source of drinking water. It was found that this spring's catchment area extends as far as the Italian ski resort of Sella Nevea. The conceptual model also provides a possible explanation about the underground drainage towards the Boka spring and waterfall, which has been a challenge for decades. This new explanation is based on the existence of a perched groundwater body that feeds the Boka spring via a system of conduits. Despite some limitations, the results, which consist of a visualization of the underground drainage and groundwater storage within the Kanin massif, can be used as a basis for planning the sustainable management of karst waters in the studied area. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulating effect of anthropogenic activities and climate variation on Liulin Springs discharge depletion by using the ARIMAX model

Based on the groundwater development process, and regional economic and social developing history, we divided the spring hydrological process of the Liulin Springs Basin into two periods: pre‐1973 and post‐1974. In the first period (i.e. 1957–1973), the spring discharge was affected by climate variation alone, and in the second period (i.e. 1974–2009), the spring discharge charge was influenced by both climate variation and human activities. A piecewise analysis strategy was used to differentiate the contribution of anthropogenic activities from climate variation on karst spring discharge depletion in the second period. Then, the ARIMAX model was applied to spring flow time series of the first period to develop a model for the effects of climate variation only. Using this model, we estimated the spring discharge in the second period solely under the influence of climate variation. Based on the water budget, we subtracted observed spring discharge from the estimated spring discharge and acquired the contribution of human activities on spring discharge depletion for the second period. The results of the analysis indicated that the contribution of climate variation to the spring discharge depletion is?0.20 m³/s from 1970s to 2000s. The contribution of anthropogenic activities to the spring flow depletion was ?2.56 m³/s in 2000s, which was about 13 times more than that of climate variation. Our analysis further indicates that groundwater exploitation only accounts for 29% of the spring flow depletion due to the effects of human activities. The remaining 71% of the depletion is likely to be caused by other human activities, including dam building, dewatering during coal mining, and deforestation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of karst aquifer spring flows with a gray system decomposition model

There are approximately 470,000 km(2) of karst aquifers that feed many large springs in North China. Turbulent flow often exists in these karst aquifers, which means that the classical ground water model based on Darcy's law cannot be applied here. Ground water data are rare for these aquifers. As a consequence, it is difficult to quantitatively investigate ground water flow in these karst systems. The purpose of this study is to develop a parsimonious model that predicts karst spring discharge using gray system theory. In this theory, a white color denotes a system that is completely characterized and a black color represents a system that is totally unknown. A gray system thus describes a complex system whose characteristics are only partially known or known with uncertainty. Using this theory, we investigated the karst spring discharge time series over different time scales. First, we identified three specific components of spring discharge: the long-term trend, periodic variation, and random fluctuation. We then used the gray system model to simulate the long-term trend and obtain periodic variation and random fluctuation components. Subsequently, we developed a predictive model for karst spring discharge. Application of the model to Liulin Springs, a representative example of karst springs in northern China, shows that the model performs well. The predicted results suggest that the Liulin Springs discharge will likely decrease over time, with small fluctuations.     

Hydrologic functioning of the deep critical zone and contributions to streamflow in a high‐elevation catchment: Testing of multiple conceptual models

High‐elevation mountain catchments are often subject to large climatic and topographic gradients. Therefore, high‐density hydrogeochemical observations are needed to understand water sources to streamflow and the temporal and spatial behaviour of flow paths. These sources and flow paths vary seasonally, which dictates short‐term storage and the flux of water in the critical zone (CZ) and affect long‐term CZ evolution. This study utilizes multiyear observations of chemical compositions and water residence times from the Santa Catalina Mountains Critical Zone Observatory, Tucson, Arizona to develop and evaluate competing conceptual models of seasonal streamflow generation. These models were tested using endmember mixing analysis, baseflow recession analysis, and tritium model “ages” of various catchment water sources. A conceptual model involving four endmembers (precipitation, soil water, shallow, and deep groundwater) provided the best match to observations. On average, precipitation contributes 39–69% (55 ± 16%), soil water contributes 25–56% (41 ± 16%), shallow groundwater contributes 1–5% (3 ± 2%), and deep groundwater contributes ~0–3% (1 ± 1%) towards annual streamflow. The mixing space comprised two principal planes formed by (a) precipitation‐soil water‐deep groundwater (dry and summer monsoon season samples) and (b) precipitation‐soil water‐shallow groundwater (winter season samples). Groundwater contribution was most important during the wet winter season. During periods of high dynamic groundwater storage and increased hydrologic connectivity (i.e., spring snowmelt), stream water was more geochemically heterogeneous, that is, geochemical heterogeneity of stream water is storage‐dependent. Endmember mixing analysis and ³H model age results indicate that only 1.4 ± 0.3% of the long‐term annual precipitation becomes deep CZ groundwater flux that influences long‐term deep CZ development through both intercatchment and intracatchment deep groundwater flows.     

Response time and water origin in a steep nested catchment in the Italian Dolomites

In this study, we investigate the surface flow time of rise in response to rainfall and snowmelt events at different spatial scales and the main sources originating channel runoff and spring water in a steep nested headwater catchment (Rio Vauz, Italian Dolomites), characterized by a marked elevation gradient. We monitored precipitation at different elevations and measured water stage/streamflow at the outlet of two rocky subcatchments of the same size, representative of the upper part of the catchment dominated by outcropping bedrock, at the outlet of a soil‐mantled and vegetated subcatchment of similar size but different morphology, and at the outlet of the main catchment. Hydrometric data are coupled with stable isotopes and electrical conductivity sampled from different water sources during five years, and used as tracers in end‐member mixing analysis, application of two component mixing models and analysis of the slope of the dual‐isotope regression line. Results reveal that times of rise are slightly shorter for the two rocky subcatchments, particularly for snowmelt and mixed rainfall/snowmelt events, compared to the soil‐mantled catchment and the entire Rio Vauz Catchment. The highly‐variable tracer signature of the different water sources reflects the geomorphological and geological complexity of the study area. The principal end‐members for channel runoff and spring water are identified in rainfall and snowmelt, which are the dominant water sources in the rocky upper part of the study catchment, and soil water and shallow groundwater, which play a relevant role in originating baseflow and spring water in the soil‐mantled and vegetated lower part of the catchment. Particularly, snowmelt contributes up to 64 ± 8% to spring water in the concave upper parts of the catchment and up to 62 ± 11% to channel runoff in the lower part of the catchment. These results offer new experimental evidences on how Dolomitic catchments capture and store rain water and meltwater, releasing it through a complex network of surface and subsurface flow pathways, and allow for the construction of a preliminary conceptual model on water transmission in snowmelt‐dominated catchments featuring marked elevation gradients.     

Interpretation of groundwater level monitoring results in karst aquifers: examples from the Dinaric karst

The paper presents an attempt to determine the characteristics of karst aquifers using information on groundwater level (GWL) in natural holes and boreholes with different data quantity and time resolution of GWL measurements. In this paper the particulars of karst aquifers were analysed for four examples from the Dinaric karst. In all four study areas, aquifers are formed in bare, deep and well‐developed Dinaric karst consisting of Cretaceous limestones. The first example represents a wide area of Imotsko polje in the karst. The aquifer was analysed on the basis of infrequent water level monitoring in natural karst water features (jamas, lakes, wells) and discharges of springs and rivers. The karst aquifer in this example is complex, non‐homogenous and variable in space and time, which is frequent in the Dinaric karst. Regardless of the aforementioned it was possible to determine its elementary characteristics. The second example represents 10 wells used for the water supply for the city of Pula. The GWL and salinity were measured once a week in the period between 1981 and 1996. Even though these measurements were relatively infrequent in space and time, they served as bases for assessment of average and maximum aquifer conditions as well as boundaries of saltwater intrusion. In the third example only a portion of aquifer of the karst spring Blaz, which is in the contact with the Adriatic Seas, has been analyzed. It is a spring with an intrusion of salt water. For purposes of study of saltwater intrusion, 26 piezometers were drilled in its vicinity in which GWL, salinity and temperature were measured once a day during 168 days, a period comprising one complete cycle of seawater intrusion and retreat. These measurements proved the existence of dispersed discharge from the aquifer into the sea and its non‐homogeneity in space. In the fourth example GWL was measured continuously in 10 deep (up to 300 m) piezometers in the hinterland of the Ombla Spring catchment. The measurement period lasted 2 years (January 1988 to December 1989). The analyses are made with hourly data. The results made it possible to determine numerous characteristics of the karst aquifer and a significant non‐homogeneity of groundwater distribution in karst aquifers, depending more on the underground karst phenomena than the surface karst forms. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diagnostic evaluation of multiple hypotheses of hydrological behaviour in a limits‐of‐acceptability framework for 24 UK catchments

Testing competing conceptual model hypotheses in hydrology is complicated by uncertainties from a wide range of sources, which result in multiple simulations that explain catchment behaviour. In this study, the limits of acceptability uncertainty analysis approach used to discriminate between 78 competing hypotheses in the Framework for Understanding Structural Errors for 24 catchments in the UK. During model evaluation, we test the model's ability to represent observed catchment dynamics and processes by defining key hydrologic signatures and time step‐based metrics from the observed discharge time series. We explicitly account for uncertainty in the evaluation data by constructing uncertainty bounds from errors in the stage‐discharge rating curve relationship. Our study revealed large differences in model performance both between catchments and depending on the type of diagnostic used to constrain the simulations. Model performance varied with catchment characteristics and was best in wet catchments with a simple rainfall‐runoff relationship. The analysis showed that the value of different diagnostics in constraining catchment response and discriminating between competing conceptual hypotheses varies according to catchment characteristics. The information content held within water balance signatures was found to better capture catchment dynamics in chalk catchments, where catchment behaviour is predominantly controlled by seasonal and annual changes in rainfall, whereas the information content in the flow‐duration curve and time‐step performance metrics was able to better capture the dynamics of rainfall‐driven catchments. We also investigate the effect of model structure on model performance and demonstrate its (in)significance in reproducing catchment dynamics for different catchments. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantifying the role of karstic groundwater in a snowmelt-dominated hydrologic system

River discharge in mountainous regions of the world is often dominated by snowmelt, but base flows are sustained primarily by groundwater storage and discharge. Although numerous recent studies have focused on base-flow discharge in mountain systems, almost no work has explicitly investigated the role of karst groundwater in these systems across a full range of flow conditions. We directly measured groundwater discharge from 48 karst springs in the Kaweah River and its five forks in the Sierra Nevada mountains, California, United States. Relationships between spring and river discharge showed that karst aquifers and springs provide significant storage and delayed discharge to the river. Regression models showed that, of all potential seasonal groundwater storage compartments in the river basin, the area of karst (0.1–4.4%) present provides the best explanation of base-flow recession in each fork of the Kaweah River (directly measured contributions from karst springs ranged from 3.5 to 16% during high-flow to 20 to 65% during base-flow conditions). These results show that, even in settings where karst represents a small portion of basin area, it may play an over-sized role in seasonal storage and water resources in mountain systems. Karst aquifers are the single most important non-snow storage component in the Kaweah River basin, and likely provide similar water storage capacities and higher base flows in other mountain river systems with karst when compared with systems without karst.     

Seasonal and interannual behaviour of groundwater catchment boundaries in a Chalk aquifer

Groundwater catchment boundaries and their associated groundwater catchment areas are typically assumed to be fixed on a seasonal basis. We investigated whether this was true for a highly permeable carbonate aquifer in England, the Berkshire and Marlborough Downs Chalk aquifer, using both borehole hydrograph data and a physics‐based distributed regional groundwater model. Borehole hydrograph data time series were used to construct a monthly interpolated water table surface, from which was then derived a monthly groundwater catchment boundary. Results from field data showed that the mean annual variation in groundwater catchment area was about 20% of the mean groundwater catchment area, but interannual variation can be very large, with the largest estimated catchment size being approximately 80% greater than the smallest. The flow in the river was also dependent on the groundwater catchment area. Model results corroborated those based on field data. These findings have significant implications for issues such as definition of source protection zones, recharge estimates based on water balance calculations and integrated conceptual modelling of surface water and groundwater systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Catchment‐scale conceptual modelling of water and solute transport in the dual flow system of the karst critical zone

Hydrological and hydrochemical processes in the critical zone of karst environments are controlled by the fracture‐conduit network. Modelling hydrological and hydrochemical dynamics in such heterogeneous hydrogeological settings remains a research challenge. In this study, water and solute transport in the dual flow system of the karst critical zone were investigated in a 73.5‐km² catchment in southwest China. We developed a dual reservoir conceptual run‐off model combined with an autoregressive and moving average model with algorithms to assess dissolution rates in the “fast flow” and “slow flow” systems. This model was applied to 3 catchments with typical karst critical zone architectures, to show how flow exchange between fracture and conduit networks changes in relation to catchment storage dynamics. The flux of bidirectional water and solute exchange between the fissure and conduit system increases from the headwaters to the outfall due to the large area of the developed conduits and low hydraulic gradient in the lower catchment. Rainfall amounts have a significant influence on partitioning the relative proportions of flow and solutes derived from different sources reaching the underground outlet. The effect of rainfall on catchment function is modulated by the structure of the karst critical zone (e.g., epikarst and sinkholes). Thin epikarst and well‐developed sinkholes in the headwaters divert more surface water (younger water) into the underground channel network, leading to a higher fraction of rainfall recharge into the fast flow system and total outflow. Also, the contribution of carbonate weathering to mass export is also higher in the headwaters due to the infiltration of younger water with low solute concentrations through sinkholes.