Opportunities to enhance management of karstic aquifers

Methods exist to obtain “new sources of water.” Examples include: (1) capturing and enhancing stormwater recharge and retention within diffuse-flow portions of karst and other aquifers; (2) recycling and reuse of waste water; (3) reducing evapotranspiration and rejected recharge; and (4) ameliorating atmospheric acid deposition through use of alkaline groundwater. These little used management methods have immense potential to sustain future water demands. Full utilization of “new” and traditional water resources requires an understanding of the hydrogeologic framework of karstic aquifers. Reliable conceptual, numerical flow and transport models are needed to help evaluate, select, and design viable water management options. Three such simulation examples are provided together with a discussion of Penn State’s Wastewater reuse project where recharge approaches 3.785 × 10⁹l/year     

Intrinsic vulnerability of Coteţul Dobreştilor karst aquifer (Bihor Mountain, Romania)

The evaluation of the vulnerability of the karst aquifer and the source in the Coteţul Dobreştilor system was performed on the basis of geological, hydrogeological and pedological data. The methods proposed in the Final Report of COST Action 620 were used. The available field data resulted in assessing the parameters P, I and in characterizing the saturated aquifer karstic network parameter (K). The soil cover over the carbonate deposits is generally shallow and easily bypassed by the superficial flow, the protection of the karstic aquifer and the source thus being minimal.     

A dye-tracing test as an aid to studying karst development at an artesian limestone sub-aquifer: Zagros Zone,Iran

A dye-tracing test is employed to study the karst development and flow regime at an artesian limestone sub-aquifer, the Khersan3 Dam site, Zagros Zone, Iran. Tracer breakthrough curves showed an early dominant peak followed by a pronounced tailing effect. The peak concentration was a response to induced pressure during dye injection. The results suggest that the dye was pushed into the small pores and fissures around the injection point during dye injection. Hence, the dye moved out as a result of matrix and fissure diffusive processes and created a long pronounced tailing. The maximum flow velocity in the upper artesian sub-aquifer ranged from 0.97 to 2.9 m/h. However, the mean tracer velocity ranged from 0.19 to 0.51 m/h based on the mean residence tracer time; consequently, the flow regime in the artesian sub-aquifer was determined to be mainly diffusive. The results reveal (1) a low hydraulic gradient from upstream of the dam axis to downstream; consequently, there is no considerable flow; (2) poor karst development and diffuse flow at the tracing test area; (3) a discharge zone at a location downstream of the dam axis which is the main terminal of general flow direction at the dam site.     

Groundwater abstraction impacts on spring flow and base flow in the Hillsborough River Basin, Florida, USA

Groundwater abstraction has resulted in spring flow and groundwater base-flow declines in the Hillsborough River system of central Florida, USA. These declines have resulted in reduction of inflows to the Tampa city reservoir as well as likely adverse environmental effects on riverine and estuarine biota. Causes evaluated for the declines include effects of groundwater development, reduced rainfall, and land alterations. The karstic, heterogeneic nature of the area renders groundwater flow modeling an ineffective method for overall evaluation. Therefore, the evaluation of these declines is accomplished through the systematic use of parametric and nonparametric statistical techniques. These techniques include contingency table analysis, linear regression, Kendall-Theil and Mann-Kendall trend analysis, locally weighted regression, Pearson correlation, Kendall-tau correlation, Spearman correlation, runs test, Student’s t test, and the Kruskall-Wallis test. Data evaluated include groundwater withdrawals, rainfall, base flow, streamflow, stream stage, spring flow, and groundwater levels. Additional methods used include double mass analysis, base flow separation, a low-stage trend analysis, data visualization techniques, and water level change maps. The methodical application of these analyses and techniques to the hydrologic and climatic data yields the conclusion that the primary factor causing the spring flow and base-flow declines is lowered groundwater levels caused by over-abstraction.     

Groundwater potentiometric decline in the Springfield, Missouri area

The decline of the potentiometric surface of the Ozark aquifer underneath Springfield Missouri intensified during the 1980s and has been of concern since. From 1990 to the present, the shifting of population from urban to rural areas and water management changes to use more surface water created an opportunity for groundwater levels to recover. However, in 2002 private well owners reported low levels and water problems, which prompted mapping the new cone of depression. To this purpose, well data measured from private wells and data available elsewhere were mapped using GIS mapping tools. The results show a cone of depression extending towards the recently developed areas south of Springfield while the potentiometric levels of some areas within the city had recovered. The maps show that, compared to the 1987 conditions, the present cone of depression has changed significantly in extent and shape while its maximum depth has changed only slightly.     

Contradicting Barrier Reef relationships for Darwin’s Evolution of reef types

The Darwinian progressive subsidence model for the evolution of fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls has been generally accepted following the indisputable proof of subsidence provided by drilling results in the Pacific. Nonetheless, there are data that do not fit the expectations of the model, such as the similar lagoon depths of barrier reefs and atolls as opposed to the subsidence theory’s implicit prediction that atolls should have significantly greater depths. In contrast, a great deal of evidence supports the influence of meteoric solution on barrier reef morphology. For example, the maximum lagoon depth of 56 modern barrier reefs is statistically correlated with the lagoon catchment area for modern annual rainfall. These modern rainfall patterns would seem to be a reasonable proxy for relative geographic differences in glacial lowstand rainfall, even though the absolute amounts of such rainfall are unknown. The correlation therefore suggests the importance of Pleistocene subaerial solution in contributing to barrier reef morphology. Further support for antecedent influence occurs in the form of barrier reef passes in which the depth of the reef pass is correlated with onshore drainage volumes. On a larger scale, the Cook Island of Mangaia provides evidence that solution can produce barrier reef morphology independent of reef development. In contrast, there are no examples of the subsidence-predicted lagoon transition of fringing reefs to barrier reefs to atolls. Moreover, the common occurrence of fringing reefs within barrier reefs negates subsidence as a causal factor in their ‘presumed progressive evolutionary development. Consequently, the evidence to date suggests that a solution morphology template has been accentuated by reef construction to produce the diagnostic barrier reef morphology we see today. The importance of subsidence would seem to be in accounting for the overall thickness of the resulting carbonate caps of oceanic examples and in contributing to lagoon depth variation among the larger continental entities.

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A physical analogue model to analyse interactions between tensile stresses and dissolution in carbonate slopes

A physical analogue model was developed to analyse the relationship between tensional states in rock masses, seepage and karst processes. Use was made of an experimental apparatus consisting of two hydraulic circuits realized by drilling two holes into each of two blocks of sampled limestone from the central Apennines (Italy). A static load (208.85 kg) was applied to one of the blocks in order to elicit tensile stresses within it. Physical and chemical monitoring data showed that the main process involved was temperature-dependent CaCO₃ dissolution. This process was more marked in the loaded block circuit, as Ca⁺⁺ concentration in circulated water reached 54 mg/L, whereas only 28 mg/L was reached in the unloaded one. The interaction between load and dissolution caused the observed opening of microcracks, as confirmed by further increase of water loss and by dilution in the loaded block circuit, resulting in a decrease of Ca⁺⁺ concentration. These findings were confirmed by recording additional water losses after increasing the load up to 445.05 kg. A finite difference numerical model showed that tensile stresses (max 20 kPa) within the loaded block were clustered at the intersection of the main joints with the flowpaths, thus representing points of preferential and accelerated dissolution.This study is part of a research project on analogical and numerical modelling for geological risk mitigation being conducted at CERI, Research Centre for Geological Risks of the University of Rome “La Sapienza” (Valmontone, Roma, Italy; http://www.ceri@uniroma1.it).     

Contribution to the identification of the sea intrusion mechanism of brackish karst springs

A method of identifying the dominant hydrodynamic sea-intrusion mechanism of brackish karst springs is presented. A karst spring becomes brackish when tubes, which bring the freshwater to the spring (freshwater discharge), intersect other tubes that come from the sea and bring saltwater to the freshwater tubes (saltwater discharge) when the saltwater pressure at the intersection is higher than the freshwater pressure. There are two potential seawater intrusion mechanisms. The first one is the difference between the freshwater density and the seawater density, and the second is the venturi effect. Both mechanisms are present but it is a matter of great significance to know which mechanism dominates. In order to find out the dominant mechanism, the seawater discharge versus the freshwater discharge was charted using the MODKARST model, which estimates these discharges. The model determines how the freshwater discharge affects the saltwater discharge estimating thereby the dominant seawater intrusion mechanism. Application was made to the “Almiros” and “Makaria” springs in Greece.

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Resumen Se presenta un método para identificar el mecanismo hidrodinámico dominante de la intrusión marina en manantiales salobres cársticos. Un manantial cárstico se vuelve salobre cuando los conductos, que suministran agua dulce al manantial (caudal de agua dulce), interceptan a otros conductos provenientes del mar que traen agua salada a este (caudal de agua salada), bajo la condición que la presión del agua salada en la intersección es mayor que la del agua dulce. Hay dos mecanismos potenciales de intrusión salina. El primero es la diferencia de densidades entre agua salada y agua dulce, mientras que el segundo es el efecto venturi. Ambos mecanismos están presentes en cualquier caso, sin embargo es de gran importancia establecer cual de ellos predomina. Con el fin de hallar el mecanismo dominante se tabularon los valores de caudal de agua salada versus el de agua dulce. Lo anterior fue posible mediante el uso del modelo MODKARST, el cual estima estos caudales. A partir de esta tabla se puede examinar como el caudal de agua dulce afecta al de agua salada, estimando como resultado de lo anterior el mecanismo dominante en la intrusión marina. Esto se aplicó a los manantiales “Almiros” y “Makaria” en Grecia.

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Résumé On présente une méthode pour déterminer le mécanisme hydraulique dominant de l’intrusion de l’eau salée marine dans le cas des émergences karstiques saumatres. Une émergence karstique devienne saumatre á l’intersection des conduites de l’eau douce avec des autres conduits qui apportent l’eau salée de la mer. Ce processus est possible si la pression de l’eau salée dépasse la pression de l’eau douce. Il y a deux mécanismes potentiels de l’intrusion de l’eau salée. A la base du premier mécanisme se trouve la différence entre les densités de l’eau douce et de l’eau salée pendant que dans le deuxième mécanisme il s’agit de phénomène Venturi. Afin de trouver le mécanisme dominant on a cartographié avec le modèle MODKARST le rapport entre les décharges de l’eau douces et respectivement de l’eau salée. A partir de la carte résultée on peut estimer comment la décharge de l’eau douce influence celle de l’eau salée en estimant en même temps le mécanisme dominat de l’eau salée. On a appliqué la méthode dans le cas des émergences d’Almiros et Makaria de la Grèce.

     

滇东岩溶区表层岩溶水源地特征及其开发利用

表层岩溶水源地是解决分散农村生活用水困难的重要水源，而且分布广泛，水质较好。但水源地含水介质的富水性不均匀，岩溶水动态变幅大，脆弱性突出，易受污染和生态环境变化的影响。由此，表层岩溶水源地生态环境建设及保护尤为重要。表层泉以池、管调蓄系统开发最为有效。表层富水块段适宜打浅井开发，建设庭院式供水工程。采用地质雷达验证地质认识，确定井位，是经济有效的技术手段。     

探地雷达在隐伏岩溶勘察中的应用

在介绍探地雷达(GPR)方法原理基础上,根据岩溶发育特征及其地球物理性质,总结了GPR反射波特征,结合在岩溶发育区成功应用GPR技术方法的工程勘察实例,说明GPR方法是岩溶区岩土工程勘察和评价的有效手段。