Regional Groundwater Flow Concept and Its Potential for Interdisciplinary Application

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrogeology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 4874

Special Issue Editors

József and Erzsébet Tóth Endowed Hydrogeology Chair, Department of Geology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: groundwater flow systems; basin hydraulics; hypogene karst; thermal water
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
József and Erzsébet Tóth Endowed Hydrogeology Chair, Department of Geology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: basin hydrogeology; numerical simulation; karst; hydrogeophysics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 2022 World Water Day slogan is “Groundwater: Making the invisible visible”, which can help visualise and understand the pattern of groundwater flow. There is a great need for a systematic basin-scale approach to reveal the regional relationships in groundwater. These can open new possibilities for scientists and professionals to understand the frontiers of hydrogeology with different disciplines. The main challenges are connected to climate change and for adjustment of flow systems to modified climate and the buffering capacity of the flow. Over the quantitative aspects, the qualitatives induced by pollution, especially emerging contaminants, are also challenging. Groundwater flow and quality will influence groundwater-dependent ecosystems and the future water supply. Groundwater flow patterns are also significant in exploring geothermal energy and controlling hydrocarbon migration. We await innovative papers on the topic, considering theoretical and practical aspects, regional studies and generalised conclusions.

The Regional Groundwater Flow Commission of the International Association of Hydrogeologists and the National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, RRF-2.3.1-21-2022-00014 project initiated the Special Issue. The guest editors are waiting for contributions from the EGU2023 General Assembly.

Dr. Judit Mádl-Szőnyi
Dr. Ádám Tóth
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • groundwater flow
  • ecosystems
  • climate change
  • adaptation
  • pollution
  • geothermal energy

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2776 KiB  
Article
Application of Modified DRASTIC Method for the Assessment and Validation of Confined Aquifer Vulnerability in Areas with Diverse Quaternary Deposits
by Magdaleena Männik and Enn Karro
Water 2023, 15(20), 3585; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15203585 - 13 Oct 2023
Viewed by 690
Abstract
Accurate vulnerability assessment methods are essential for effective groundwater management and protection, allowing the identification of areas vulnerable to pollution. The widely used DRASTIC method has been modified to improve groundwater vulnerability assessment in regions where Quaternary sediments form a confining layer above [...] Read more.
Accurate vulnerability assessment methods are essential for effective groundwater management and protection, allowing the identification of areas vulnerable to pollution. The widely used DRASTIC method has been modified to improve groundwater vulnerability assessment in regions where Quaternary sediments form a confining layer above the main useful aquifer. This study applied the modified DRASTIC method to two study areas in Estonia with heterogenous Quaternary sediments. The results were compared to the original DRASTIC method and a groundwater vulnerability assessment method used formerly in Estonia. The results significantly improved with the modified version compared to the original method. The modified method also exhibited stronger correlations with nitrate concentration data, illustrating the higher accuracy of the modified DRASTIC method in vulnerability assessment in regions with confined aquifers. The results highlight the significance of modifying the vulnerability assessment methods according to regional geological conditions to evaluate groundwater vulnerability accurately and support informed decision-making in groundwater management and protection. Full article
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16 pages, 8334 KiB  
Article
Water Balance Calculation for a Transboundary Aquifer System between Estonia and Latvia
by Marlen Hunt, Andres Marandi and Inga Retike
Water 2023, 15(19), 3327; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15193327 - 22 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1087
Abstract
Groundwater management in transboundary aquifers is complex due to the hidden nature of groundwater and its intricate interactions with surface water. The overarching issue lies in the need for improved tools and strategies to manage transboundary aquifers effectively, given their critical importance to [...] Read more.
Groundwater management in transboundary aquifers is complex due to the hidden nature of groundwater and its intricate interactions with surface water. The overarching issue lies in the need for improved tools and strategies to manage transboundary aquifers effectively, given their critical importance to regional water resources and ecosystems. In addressing these challenges, this study focuses on a specific transboundary aquifer system between Estonia and Latvia, situated within the sedimentary rocks of North-East Europe. Here, we propose a conceptual model approach as a valuable tool for comprehending the hydrogeological characteristics of transboundary aquifers and supporting more efficient management strategies. Utilizing open-source software MODFLOW-6, our developed conceptual model integrates the aquifer system’s geological and hydrogeological framework and simulates groundwater flow under transient conditions. Our findings highlight a profound hydrological connection between groundwater and surface water, particularly within the first 200 m of the aquifer. Despite varying cross-border groundwater flows, collaboration remains vital for sustainable transboundary aquifer management, aligning with international agreements such as the Water Convention and the EU Water Framework Directive, benefiting similar systems. Full article
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23 pages, 9543 KiB  
Article
Basin-Scale Hydraulic Evaluation of Groundwater Flow Controlled Biogenic Gas Migration and Accumulation in the Central Pannonian Basin
by Brigitta Czauner, Zsóka Szabó, Béla Márton and Judit Mádl-Szőnyi
Water 2023, 15(18), 3272; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15183272 - 15 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 738
Abstract
Biogenic or microbial methane has an increasing share in the global gas resource base, though its exploration still faces challenges and welcomes innovations. Critical elements of its migration and accumulation models are the groundwater flows which gather and transport the gas in aqueous [...] Read more.
Biogenic or microbial methane has an increasing share in the global gas resource base, though its exploration still faces challenges and welcomes innovations. Critical elements of its migration and accumulation models are the groundwater flows which gather and transport the gas in aqueous solution, and the seal rocks or aquifers which lead groundwater flows horizontally over great distances. This paper intends to introduce the hydraulic trap concept into these models, which is able to drive fluids horizontally without an overlying seal rock. Since hydraulic traps can evolve as a result of the interplay of regional groundwater flow systems, the basin-scale hydraulic evaluation methodology which was developed for the analysis of these systems was further improved by this study to focus on their interplay. The improved methodology was applied on measured hydraulic data in a study area in the Central Pannonian Basin (Hungary) around the Hajdúszoboszló gas field where as a result, the first groundwater flow controlled dissolved biogenic gas migration and accumulation model could be set up. In addition, the proposed methodology can be used in any terrestrial sedimentary basin, and in particular, where topography-driven flow systems are underlaid by an abnormal pressure regime. Full article
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20 pages, 4459 KiB  
Article
Natural Radioactivity in Drinking Water in the Surroundings of a Metamorphic Outcrop in Hungary: The Hydrogeological Answer to Practical Problems
by Petra Baják, Bence Molnár, Katalin Hegedűs-Csondor, Mia Tiljander, Viktor Jobbágy, Viktória Kohuth-Ötvös, Bálint Izsák, Márta Vargha, Ákos Horváth, Emese Csipa, Mihály Óvári, Csaba Tóbi, Péter Völgyesi, Krzysztof Pelczar, Mikael Hult and Anita Erőss
Water 2023, 15(9), 1637; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15091637 - 22 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2085
Abstract
Groundwater quality constantly evolves through rock–water interactions, which can enrich groundwater with undesirable elements such as naturally occurring radionuclides. The aim of this study was to understand the cause of gross alpha activity exceeding the screening value of 0.1 Bq L−1 measured [...] Read more.
Groundwater quality constantly evolves through rock–water interactions, which can enrich groundwater with undesirable elements such as naturally occurring radionuclides. The aim of this study was to understand the cause of gross alpha activity exceeding the screening value of 0.1 Bq L−1 measured in groundwater-derived drinking water in the vicinity of a metamorphic outcrop in Hungary. As groundwater quality is strongly dependent on the properties of groundwater flow systems, environmental tracers (δ2H and δ18O composition, 226Ra, 222Rn, total U activity concentration, and 234U/238U ratio) and hydraulic evaluation were applied to understand groundwater dynamics. The collected groundwater samples had total U activities up to 540 mBq L−1, which translates into an indicative dose below the drinking water parametric value. However, in the presence of dissolved uranium, the δ2H (−52.6–(−83.4)) and δ18O (−7.17–(−11.96)) values led to the conclusion that local flow systems were sampled that are known to be most vulnerable to any changes in their recharge area. The results confirm that the groundwater flow system approach involving environmental tracers and hydraulic evaluation is a powerful tool for identifying the cause of natural radioactivity in groundwater-derived drinking water. Full article
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