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Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of Karst Aquifers
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Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of Karst Aquifers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 19310

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. David Labat

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (UMR 5563 CNRS UPS IRD), Université de Toulouse, 31000 Toulouse
Interests: karst hydrology; time series analyses; wavelet analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One-quarter of the world population depends on freshwater from karst aquifers. Therefore, a need for a sustainable karst freshwater supply policy constitutes a major challenge in a context of increasing pressure linked to both climate change impacts and a dramatic increase of human withdrawals. Thus, water resources managers currently face both the degradation of water quality, the increase in karst flood intensity, and conflicts between water users, especially during low water periods.

This Special Issue of Water aims to provide the latest scientific advances in the hydrogeology, hydrogeophysics, and hydrobiogeochemistry of karst systems, reflecting also the wild variety of karst lithology. Special efforts on innovative field experiments, data analysis, or new modelling concepts are encouraged. Interdisciplinary research including economics or societal applications are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. David Labat
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • karst
  • hydrogeology
  • hydrogeochemistry
  • hydrogeophysics
  • water policy

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

29 pages, 11223 KiB  
Article
A Combined Stochastic–Analytical Method for the Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Spring Discharge
by Attila Kovács and Zoran Stevanović
Water 2023, 15(4), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15040629 - 06 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1975
Abstract
This study describes a novel methodology for the prediction of spring hydrographs based on regional climate model (RCM) projections, with the goal of evaluating climate-change impact on karstic-spring discharge. A combined stochastic–analytical modeling methodology to predict spring discharge was developed and demonstrated on [...] Read more.
This study describes a novel methodology for the prediction of spring hydrographs based on regional climate model (RCM) projections, with the goal of evaluating climate-change impact on karstic-spring discharge. A combined stochastic–analytical modeling methodology to predict spring discharge was developed and demonstrated on the Bukovica spring catchment at the Durmitor National Park, Montenegro. As a first step, climate model projections of the EURO-CORDEX ensemble were selected; and then bias correction was applied based on historical climate data. The regression function between rainfall and peak discharge was established by using historical data. Baseflow recession was described by using a double-component exponential model, where hydrograph decomposition and parameter fitting were performed on the Master Recession Curve. Rainfall time series from two selected RCM scenarios were applied to predict future spring-discharge time series. Bias correction of simulated hydrographs was performed, and bias-corrected combined stochastic–analytical models were applied to predict spring hydrographs based on RCM-simulated rainfall data. Both simulated climate scenarios predict increasing peak discharges and decreasing baseflow discharges throughout the 21st century. The model results suggest that climate change is likely to exaggerate the extremities both in terms of climate parameters and spring discharge by the end of the century both for moderate (RCP 45) and pessimistic (RCP 85) CO2 emission scenarios. To investigate the temporal distribution of extremities throughout the simulated time periods, the annual numbers of flood and drought days were calculated. Annual predicted flood days show an increasing trend during the first simulation period (2021–2050) and a slightly decreasing trend during the second simulation period (2071–2100), according to the RCP45 climate scenario. The same parameter shows a stagnant trend for the RCP 85 climate scenario. Annual predicted drought days show a decreasing trend both for the RCP 45 and RCP 85 climate scenarios. However, the annual number of drought days shows a large variation over time. There is a periodicity of extremely dry years with a frequency between 5 and 7 years. The number of drought days seems to increase over time during these extreme years. The study confirmed that the applied methodology can successfully be applied for spring-discharge prediction and that it offers a new prospect for its wider application in studying karst aquifers and their behavior under different climate-change scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of Karst Aquifers)
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30 pages, 4898 KiB  
Article
Mobile Sources Mixing Model Implementation for a Better Quantification of Hydrochemical Origins in Allogenic Karst Outlets: Application on the Ouysse Karst System
by David Viennet, Guillaume Lorette, David Labat, Matthieu Fournier, Mathieu Sebilo, Olivier Araspin and Pierre Crançon
Water 2023, 15(3), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15030397 - 18 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1486
Abstract
On the edge of sedimentary basins, karst aquifers can be fed by several water sources from both autogenic and allogenic recharge. In some cases, assessing water origins can be hard and cause some difficulties for water resource management. The main goal of this [...] Read more.
On the edge of sedimentary basins, karst aquifers can be fed by several water sources from both autogenic and allogenic recharge. In some cases, assessing water origins can be hard and cause some difficulties for water resource management. The main goal of this study is to show the implementation of the mobile sources mixing model approach. More precisely, this research develops how a monitoring method using a multi-proxy approach can be used to quantify waters sources contributions from several origins at the outlets of a karst system. The study site is the Ouysse karst system, located in western France. The site offers the opportunity to understand the mixing processes between allogenic and autogenic water recharges. The karst system covers a 650 km² watershed, and is fed by three different chemical facies: (i) Autogenic water from the direct infiltration on the karstified limestones with high HCO3− values (median: 436 mg.L−1); (ii) Water coming from sinking rivers fed by spring coming from igneous rocks with low mineralization but relatively higher K+ values (median: 4.2 mg.L−1); (iii) Highly mineralized water coming from deep evaporitic layers and feeding another sinking river with very high sulfate concentrations (median: 400 mg.L−1). Sliding window cross-correlation analyses and hydrochemical analyses during a flood event are performed to implement a mobile source mixing model approach. This approach shows significant differences with a simple fixed source mixing model and appears more reliable but requires more time and money to carry out. The results and conclusion of this study will be used for forecasting and managing operational actions for resource management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of Karst Aquifers)
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24 pages, 6902 KiB  
Article
Change Analysis of Karst Landforms, Hydrogeological Conditions and Effects of Tunnel Excavation on Groundwater Environment in Three Topography Grades in China
by Yige Tang, Qiang Zhang, Jihong Qi, Mo Xu, Xiao Li, Chenhao Qu, Lei Yi and Dong Wang
Water 2023, 15(1), 207; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15010207 - 03 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1595
Abstract
One-third of the Earth in China is formed by Karst topography, which exposes different Karst landforms in three topography grades from southeast to northwest, corresponding to below several hundred meters for the first grade, one to two thousand meters for the second grade, [...] Read more.
One-third of the Earth in China is formed by Karst topography, which exposes different Karst landforms in three topography grades from southeast to northwest, corresponding to below several hundred meters for the first grade, one to two thousand meters for the second grade, and more than 4000 m for the in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Through the hydrochemical and D-18O stable isotopes of 64 water samples collected along two railway lines and the topography fractal characteristics of three typical Karst areas in different topography grades, the changes in Karst development degree, changes in groundwater activities, and the influence of tunnel excavation effects on groundwater environment were analyzed. The results indicated that: (1) the Karst development degree and the influence of Karst tunnel excavation on the groundwater environment are somehow similar in the first and second grades, while there are significant differences between the slopes area from second to third grade and the third grade area. (2) In detail, the relatively weaker Karst development degree and flow seeping in the second grade relatively weaken the influences of tunnel excavation, including the distribution pattern of water resources, the groundwater flow field, and water circulation, while the tunnel elevation has little room to rise. (3) There are many large faults in the north-southward direction in the third topography grade, and the transportation lines in the eastern-western direction will inevitably encounter them. In the intersection area, the tunnel excavation has great effects on the groundwater environment. (4) The lighter hydrogen and oxygen isotopes are enriched in Karst water from the first grade to the third grade, indicating that the recharge source of Karst water presents obvious elevation effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of Karst Aquifers)
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11 pages, 2187 KiB  
Article
Hydrogeochemical Characteristics of Karst Areas: A Case Study of Dongzhuang Reservoir Area in Jinghe River
by Haifeng Zhang, Jiang Zhan, Weifeng Wan and Junzhi Wang
Water 2022, 14(24), 4111; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14244111 - 16 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1211
Abstract
Karst leakage is the key problem that restricts the construction of reservoir areas. In this article, the hydrogeochemical origin and hydraulic connection of the river water, pore water, fissure water, and karst water in Jinghe Dongzhuang Reservoir, which is located in a karst [...] Read more.
Karst leakage is the key problem that restricts the construction of reservoir areas. In this article, the hydrogeochemical origin and hydraulic connection of the river water, pore water, fissure water, and karst water in Jinghe Dongzhuang Reservoir, which is located in a karst area, are analyzed to determine the possibility of karst leakage in the reservoir area. Piper diagram, Gibbs diagram, ion proportion coefficient, and cluster analysis were comprehensively used to systematically study the hydrogeochemical characteristics and formation mechanism of the study area. The research results show that the water in the study area is weakly alkaline, with complex hydrogeochemical types, including SO4−Na, HCO3·SO4−Na, and HCO3·SO4−Na·Mg. Affected by evaporation and concentration, Jinghe River and shallow pore water have high TDS content, and the content of Na+(including K+), Cl− and SO42− is significantly higher than that of fissure water and karst water. Fissure water and karst water are significantly weathered by rocks, and their Ca2+ and Mg2+ mainly come from carbonate rock dissolution. In the process of groundwater evolution, cation exchange occurs more or less in the three groundwater bodies, resulting in different cation contents in different water bodies. In general, Jinghe River is similar to most of the pore water, but its hydrogeochemical characteristics are obviously different from those of fissure water and karst water, so it has little hydraulic connection with fissure water and karst water, indicating that the leakage in the reservoir area is not significant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of Karst Aquifers)
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15 pages, 24105 KiB  
Article
Impact of Withdrawals on Karst Watershed Water Supply
by David Labat, Rémi Argouze, Naomi Mazzilli, Chloé Ollivier and Vianney Sivelle
Water 2022, 14(9), 1339; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14091339 - 20 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2104
Abstract
Karst systems consist of heterogeneous aquifers characterized by non-linear hydrogeological behavior. This is intrinsically linked to the coexistence of saturated versus unsaturated, open-channel versus closed-conduit flow and laminar versus turbulent flows within these aquifers. These multiple dualities together with a lack of knowledge [...] Read more.
Karst systems consist of heterogeneous aquifers characterized by non-linear hydrogeological behavior. This is intrinsically linked to the coexistence of saturated versus unsaturated, open-channel versus closed-conduit flow and laminar versus turbulent flows within these aquifers. These multiple dualities together with a lack of knowledge of their internal structure lead to increasing difficulties in the management of groundwater resources related to karst aquifers. However, karst aquifers constitute strategic fresh water resources and many stakeholders carry out withdrawals sometimes continuously or centered on the period of low water level as for the irrigation. These withdrawals generate discharge decreases that can constitute sources of conflicts between upstream and downstream users of the resource. In this study, we propose a methodology to assess the impact of withdrawals on the spring discharge of a karst aquifer based on a conceptual non-linear reservoirs model. This methodology is applied to the second largest karst system in France: The Touvre karst system (La Rochefoucauld). The simulated influence of the total withdrawals on runoff deficit is larger than the total withdrawals in relationship with the non-linearity of the conceptual models. Globally, this impact is about one and a half of the total withdrawal depending of the year under consideration. Moreover, we show that it also implies a decrease from 10% to 20% of the low-flow annual discharge. The next step will be to also address the issues raised by the climate change projections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of Karst Aquifers)
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Review

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50 pages, 1699 KiB  
Review
A Review of the Application of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in Karst Watersheds
by Ibrahim Al Khoury, Laurie Boithias and David Labat
Water 2023, 15(5), 954; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15050954 - 01 Mar 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 9903
Abstract
Karst water resources represent a primary source of freshwater supply, accounting for nearly 25% of the global population water needs. Karst aquifers have complex recharge characteristics, storage patterns, and flow dynamics. They also face a looming stress of depletion and quality degradation due [...] Read more.
Karst water resources represent a primary source of freshwater supply, accounting for nearly 25% of the global population water needs. Karst aquifers have complex recharge characteristics, storage patterns, and flow dynamics. They also face a looming stress of depletion and quality degradation due to natural and anthropogenic pressures. This prompted hydrogeologists to apply innovative numerical approaches to better understand the functioning of karst watersheds and support karst water resources management. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a semi-distributed hydrological model that has been used to simulate flow and water pollutant transport, among other applications, in basins including karst watersheds. Its source code has also been modified by adding distinctive karst features and subsurface hydrology models to more accurately represent the karst aquifer discharge components. This review summarizes and discusses the findings of 75 SWAT-based studies in watersheds that are at least partially characterized by karst geology, with a primary focus on the hydrological assessment in modified SWAT models. Different karst processes were successfully implemented in SWAT, including the recharge in the epikarst, flows of the conduit and matrix systems, interbasin groundwater flow, and allogenic recharge from sinkholes and sinking streams. Nonetheless, additional improvements to the existing SWAT codes are still needed to better reproduce the heterogeneity and non-linearity of karst flow and storage mechanisms in future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of Karst Aquifers)
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