Urban karst aquifers are threatened by anthropogenic activities, especially in semiarid developing countries. Recent water-sampling campaigns assessed the extent of groundwater-quality impairment in the Wadi Shueib in Jordan by a comprehensive hydrogeological and hydrochemical characterization of groundwater, wastewater, and imported water with its endmembers Lake Tiberias, Yarmouk River and Mukheiba

In order to evaluate the behavior of a freshwater lens in the uplifted atoll island of Minami-Daito, Japan, groundwater level and electrical conductivity were simultaneously measured in six monitoring wells. The monitoring allowed determination of the position and variability of the top and bottom positions of the freshwater lens. The freshwater lens periodically oscillates with phase lags (delay time)

A feasibility assessment was undertaken on the application of water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) for the Cape Flats Aquifer in Cape Town, South Africa, at the local scale. The study contributes towards the planning of water-sensitive cities in the future. A three-dimensional steady-state groundwater flow model was applied to the Cape Flats Aquifer to predict WSUD scenarios by incorporating managed

Research into the unsaturated zone and groundwater recharge can greatly improve understanding of hydrological processes and assist in sustainable groundwater management. Groundwater recharge of the Ljubljana Field aquifer, a coarse-gravel porous aquifer in Slovenia, was estimated with reference to soil characteristics, outflow data from a weighing lysimeter, and water-table fluctuation. The specific

This study integrates a water-table estimator into the hydrologic model SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) to simulate transit times of nitrate in groundwater for Fish River basin in Alabama, USA. Three water-table estimators were developed using 3D finite-element-modeling data and spatiotemporally dynamic remotely sensed data. Initially, the study estimates spatiodynamic groundwater levels by coupling

The registering and/or licensing of groundwater abstraction is held as a “best practice” in the control of groundwater use and a necessary step toward volumetric management of resources. Yet, groundwater licensing and legalization processes in areas with many scattered (often agricultural) users tend to face severe difficulties and are rarely successful. Based on a global survey on groundwater governance

Small and shallow alluvial aquifers in arid and semi-arid regions compose an important water system that smallholder farmers rely on for irrigation and livestock feeding. Geological settings and the small scale of these aquifers suggest the need for governance at the local level, but research supporting its development is still scarce. Treating a case of alluvial aquifers exploited by smallholder farmers

A simple and efficient improvement on the conventional packer testing technique is described. Based on experience associated with hundreds of packer tests in the past decade, a functional change is proposed with respect to the pressure inflation supply for the packer testing unit. The change involves allowing each packer to be independently controlled with two separate gas-flow delivery systems, allowing

The evolution of water temperature at the stream–aquifer interface and the associated heat fluxes have a major influence on the ecological state. Here, a synthetic case is developed to characterize the behavior of the stream–aquifer interface submitted to meteorological and hydrological forcings as well as to various hydraulic and thermal properties, representative of a wide range of lithofacies from

The cold and thermal karst water resources of the Bükk Mountains play a significant role in the hydrogeological setting of northeastern Hungary. Although there is much geological and hydrogeological information available, the regional hydrogeology of the Bükk Mountains had not been described in a standalone study involving all this information. The drinking water supply of the city of Miskolc and some

A contaminated industrial waste site in Washington State (USA) containing buried, metallic-waste storage tanks, pipes, and wells, was evaluated to determine the feasibility of monitoring groundwater remediation activities associated with an underlying perched aquifer system using electrical resistivity tomography. The perched aquifer, located ~65 m below ground surface and ~10 m above the regional

Physical process-based groundwater flow models are the major tools for studying fluid-flow behavior and for simulating the hydrological responses of water levels and spring discharge to human- and/or nature-induced triggers such as pumping and recharge. Such models are built with deep understanding of the physical processes and are based on geological models, developed by integrating data from geology

Accuracy of groundwater storage (GWS) estimates from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission usually has certain relations with hydrological models. This study develops a statistical selection approach to optimally estimate GWS from GRACE using two hydrological models: the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) and the WaterGAP Global Hydrology Model (WGHM), over Tasmania

Calibrating the heterogeneous permeability distribution of hard-rock aquifers based on sparse data is challenging but crucial for obtaining meaningful groundwater flow models. This study demonstrates the applicability of stochastic sampling of the prior permeability distribution and Metropolis sampling of the posterior permeability distribution using typical production data and measurements available

Heterogeneity is a common feature of aquifers and plays an important role in the efficiency of remediation of groundwater contamination. Pore-scale heterogeneity is an important control on governing mass transport and chemical/biological reactions in reactive transport processes, but quantitative characterization and systematic assessment of this property has been limited. In this study, a pore-sc

Groundwater storage in alpine regions is essential for maintaining baseflows in mountain streams. Recent studies have shown that common alpine landforms (e.g., talus and moraine) have substantial groundwater storage capacity, but the hydrogeological connectivity between individual landforms has not been understood. This study characterizes the hydrogeology of an alpine cirque basin in the Canadian

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) as a major source of alkalinity has rarely been studied in Jiaozhou Bay, China. The presented study used radon (222Rn) and radium isotopes to investigate SGD and its influence on alkalinity and nutrient inputs into the bay. Time-series observations of 222Rn were used to quantify groundwater dynamics over tidal time scales and the results showed that the SGD rates

Fig. 3 in the original article contains an error in labelling. The correct figure is given here.

A Turonian limestone-dolomite aquifer from the Tadla basin of Morocco was analysed using a multi-tracer approach (δ18O, δ2H, δ13C, 3H, 14C and noble gases) to reconstruct the paleotemperature evolution from the late Pleistocene to the Holocene. The Turonian aquifer was found to be suitable for a groundwater-based paleoclimate reconstruction, representing the Holocene–late Pleistocene epochs. After

Groundwater chemical and isotopic variability are used to identify and map temporal changes in the paleo-lacustrine environment and the long-term climate trends in the Closed Basin of the San Luis Valley, Colorado, USA. Total dissolved solids, water color, δ13C, SO42−, Cl−, and Na+ excess are used to identify chemical reaction zones. The reaction zones include methanogenic zones, which represent organic-rich

Hydraulic head and groundwater age data are effective in building understanding of groundwater systems. Yet their joint role in detecting and characterising low-permeability geological structures, i.e. hydrogeologic barriers such as faults and dykes, has not been widely studied. Here, numerical flow and transport models, using MODFLOW-NWT and MT3D-USGS, were developed with different hydrogeologic barrier

Salt loads in the Colorado River Basin are a primary water quality concern. Natural groundwater brine discharge to the Dolores River where it passes through the collapsed salt anticline of the Paradox Valley in western Colorado (USA) is a significant source of salt to the Colorado River. An airborne electromagnetic survey of Paradox Valley has provided insights into the three-dimensional distribution

Isotopes and hydrochemistry were used to characterize the recharge and flow of groundwater in the arid Santanghu basin in Northwest China. The results of isotopic measurement and hydrochemical facies indicate that the predominant recharge mechanism is via rivers and streams. Modern recharge only occurs in the piedmont area of Moqinwula Mountains by ephemeral rivers, and the main recharge source is

A calibrated field-scale numerical model of groundwater flow and permafrost degradation has been used in a sensitivity analysis of permafrost thaw on thermal and hydraulic parameters. The two-dimensional cryo-hydrogeological model was developed using the HEATFLOW-SMOKER code applied to the Umiujaq field site in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, and includes coupled groundwater flow and advective–conductive

Approximately 2 km2 of sand- and gravel-rich Pleistocene glacial-outburst megaflood sediment has accumulated in a series of five subparallel paleochannels that are an important component of a basalt-dominated aquifer system on the semiarid, ~450-km2 West Plains area. Located near Spokane, Washington (USA), the West Plains paleochannel deposits have been used for artificial storage and recovery wells

The presented study evaluates the effect of water-table depth on groundwater evaporation (Eg) and recharge (Rg) when they occurred alternately. A lysimeter experiment incorporating a 1-year-long bromide tracer test was conducted under conditions with a range of maintained water-table depths. The results revealed that both the Rg and Eg decreased as the water table fell, until it was down to the extinction

Groundwater flow and the geochemical evolution of a freshwater lens in an aquifer on a Pacific atoll were investigated by hydrogeochemical surveys. Sulfur hexafluoride measurements showed that deeper groundwater and groundwater at the periphery of the lens are older, consistent with a downward and outward groundwater flow scheme. This is the typical flow scheme on Pacific atolls where a Holocene–Pleistocene

A cold-region watershed located in the discontinuous permafrost zone near Umiujaq (Nunavik, Canada) was studied in order to increase understanding of the subarctic water cycle and permafrost dynamics. This essay gives an overview of the research, summarised in a collection of six papers that: respectively characterize the physical three-dimensional cryo-hydrogeological system, present a detailed water

Permafrost thaw is a complex process resulting from interactions between the atmosphere, soil, water and vegetation. Although advective heat transport by groundwater at depth likely plays a significant role in permafrost dynamics at many sites, there is lack of direct measurements of groundwater flow patterns and fluxes in such cold-region environments. Here, the finite volume point dilution method

Groundwater distribution and flow dynamics were studied in a small watershed located in the discontinuous permafrost zone near Umiujaq in Nunavik (Québec), Canada, to assess the seasonal variations and perform a quantitative analysis of the water cycle in a subarctic watershed. Due to the complexity of the subsurface geology within the watershed, an integrated investigation was instrumental to provide

Slurry grouting plays an important role in water plugging for hydrogeological engineering and there are multiple factors that restrict the slurry flow. This study investigates the restriction mechanisms, based on a single inclined rough fracture, employing a space stepwise method (SSM) using multi-direction sectors (MDS) for calculating the diffusion of variable-viscosity slurry under constant flow

Among the few positive impacts of climate warming in cold regions, permafrost degradation can increase the availability of groundwater as a potential source of drinking water for northern communities. Near the Inuit community of Umiujaq in Nunavik, Canada, a watershed in a valley in the discontinuous permafrost zone was instrumented to monitor the impacts of climate change on permafrost and groundwater

A quantitative transport-time-based vulnerability assessment approach for non-point-source pollution using a spatially distributed geographic information system (GIS)-generated topographic model was developed for the karst aquifer system feeding the Tanour and Rasoun springs in NW Jordan. The approach implies the assessment of the groundwater residence times in different compartments of the karst system

Stable isotopic composition (δ2H, δ18O) of river water, groundwater, and paddy water in the Mun River catchment, northeast Thailand, were determined to investigate the hydrological processes and the impacts of natural and anthropogenic activities on the water cycle. Quantities of δ2H (−93.9 to −25.4‰) and δ18O (−12.24 to −2.22‰) in river water in the wet season follow the trend: upper reaches > middle

Hydrogeochemical data are used to better understand recharge dynamics and to support a hydrogeological conceptual model in a 2-km2 watershed in a discontinuous permafrost zone in Nunavik, Canada. The watershed contains an upper (surficial) and lower aquifer within Quaternary deposits, above and below a marine silt layer containing ice-rich permafrost mounds. The analysis is based on water samples from

A two-dimensional (2D) cryo-hydrogeological numerical model of groundwater flow, coupled with advective-conductive heat transport with phase change, has been developed to study permafrost dynamics around an ice-rich permafrost mound in the Tasiapik Valley near Umiujaq, Nunavik (Québec), Canada. Permafrost is degrading in this valley due to climate warming observed in Nunavik over the last two decades

The Gabes Jeffara aquifer system, in southeastern Tunisia, is essentially recharged by rainfall infiltration and by groundwater inflow from the Intercalary Continental aquifer in the northwest. The increase in groundwater pumping for irrigation in recent decades has induced a serious decrease in groundwater levels, depletion of springs and degradation of oasis ecosystems. A multidisciplinary study

The PODMT3DMS-Tool, which consists of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) linked to the Modular Transport 3-Dimensional Multi Species (MT3DMS) code for nitrate simulation in groundwater, is introduced. POD, as a statistical technique, reduces a large amount of information produced by the MT3DMS model to provide the main components of the PODMT3DMS-Tool, i.e., space- and time-dependent terms of nitrate

Abstract The borehole permeameter (BP) method was developed in the 1950s by the United States Bureau of Reclamation to estimate saturated soil hydraulic conductivity (KS) in shallow boreholes completed above the water table. The approach has been improved over the years, and now accounts for flow due to pressure, gravity and soil capillarity. However, the BP method is calibrated only for normally consolidated

Manganese (Mn) plays a critical role in river-water quality because Mn-oxides serve as sorption sites for contaminant metals. The aim of this study is to understand the seasonal cycling of Mn in an alpine streambed that experiences large spring snowmelt events and the potential responses to changes in snowmelt timing and magnitude. To address this goal, annual variations in river-water/groundwater

The interactions between groundwater and surface water under a river island in South Korea were investigated. Sampling was focused on the western part of the island, where a groundwater heat pump system with groundwater monitoring wells has been installed. A riverside area was selected for the system because a high specific capacity was expected. However, surface-water intrusion remains a major concern

Realistic assessment and prediction of groundwater resources, at appropriate scales, are crucial for proper management and systematic development of groundwater in India. An equivalent porous medium (EPM)-based groundwater flow model is implemented for a typical hard-rock aquifer in central India, to provide quantification, analysis and prediction of groundwater balance components. This research also

Abstract Waterproof curtains are used as barriers to block groundwater during deep excavations; however, in practice, barrier leakage occurs frequently. This paper establishes a three-dimensional (3D) fluid-solid-coupled finite element model to analyse the effect of barrier leakage below the excavation surface. Uniform and local barrier leakages in a confined aquifer are simulated for a constant flow

Abstract The perception of a global crisis of groundwater over-abstraction and pollution is assumed to include Sub-Saharan Africa, a region where groundwater resources are on average greatly under-utilized. This perception of crisis contributes to a “discourse of shortage” which in turn has led to a neglect of the potential role of groundwater to support irrigation, water security and economic growth

Connectivity of groundwater flow within crystalline-rock aquifers controls the sustainability of abstraction and baseflow to rivers, yet is often poorly constrained at a catchment scale. Here groundwater connectivity in a sheared gneiss aquifer is investigated by studying the intensively abstracted Berambadi catchment (84 km2) in the Cauvery River Basin, southern India, with geological characterisation

Local meteoric water lines (LMWL) and corresponding relationships between δ2H and δ18O values in precipitation and elevation are useful tools for assessing groundwater recharge areas and flow paths. The LMWL and relationship between δ18O values in precipitation and elevation for the West Hawai‘i region of Hawai‘i (USA) were determined utilizing a network of eight cumulative precipitation collectors

Abstract The karst hydrogeology systems of the Watuputih Hills region of Central Java, Indonesia, have many springs with varying discharge and are composed of formations with complex geological structures. This work characterized the karst hydrogeology by studying 50 hydrogeological features (caves, springs and wells) and by analyzing the chemical-physical properties of groundwater in the field (pH

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a misprint. Eq. 8 was written incorrectly.

The affiliation of Daniel Strasser is hereby corrected to: Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute (BAW), Kussmaulstraße 17, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany

Abstract Changes in groundwater chemistry in the Great Bend Prairie aquifer, a portion of the High Plains aquifer in south-central Kansas (USA), were studied in order to better understand factors influencing groundwater quality and aquifer sustainability. To assess changes, groundwater samples from 22 monitoring wells were analyzed during 2016. Results were then compared to data obtained previously

Abstract Injection-induced earthquakes are now a regular occurrence across the midcontinent United States. This phenomenon is primarily caused by oilfield wastewater disposal into deep geologic formations, which induces fluid pressure transients that decrease effective stress and trigger earthquakes on critically stressed faults. It is now generally accepted that the cumulative effects of multiple

Abstract Improving water availability and distribution is key to combatting water stress in semi-arid regions. This study presents an approach that integrates hydrogeological surveys and economic analysis at a pilot site in the eastern Lower Jordan Valley to assess the potential for managed aquifer recharge (MAR). Based on exploratory drillings, hydraulic tests, water-quality analyses and previous

Abstract In the unlined Tuxbach water transfer tunnel, running between Hintertux (1,500 m asl) and the Schlegeis Reservoir (Austria), a local geothermal anomaly with temperatures up to 14.6 °C exists. These temperatures are around 3 °C higher than expected, considering the tunnel’s shallow depth, together with its surrounding alpine environment and regional heat flow. This is especially noticeable

Abstract Fishermans Bend is an urban redevelopment precinct situated on the Yarra River estuary in Melbourne, Australia. Understanding the hydrogeological system is important for characterising the impacts from legacy contamination and for monitoring the effects of urbanisation on groundwater flow systems and quality. Stable isotopes of water (δ18O, δ2H) and carbon (δ13C), radioisotopes (3H, 14C) and

Abstract Extensometer data have an advantage over satellite-based data for monitoring land subsidence in that extensometer data provide continuous measurements (hourly or better temporal resolution) at very high precision (several tens of microns) over a known depth interval; the latter is important for isolating groundwater pumping from other causes of land subsidence attributed to tectonics or eustatic

Abstract Annual precipitation, temperature, and the frequency and duration of drought events are expected to increase in Québec (Canada) south of the 50th parallel as a result of climate change. Oxygen barriers such as covers with capillary barrier effects (CCBE), which are used to control acid mine drainage (AMD), are sensitive to climate change. Increases in precipitation may have positive effects

Abstract Bank filtration (BF) is an established indirect water-treatment technology. The quality of water gained via BF depends on the subsurface capture zone, the mixing ratio (river water versus ambient groundwater), spatial and temporal distribution of subsurface travel times, and subsurface temperature patterns. Surface-water infiltration into the adjacent aquifer is determined by the local hydraulic

Extensive pumping of aquifer systems alters the water budget components for individual aquifer units. This study evaluated long-term changes in alluvial-bedrock groundwater exchange within a highly pumped region of the Denver Basin Aquifer System, Colorado (USA). For a data set spanning five decades, bedrock-aquifer water levels were compared to the elevation of mapped stream alluvium in three-dimensional

Eqs. 4 and 5 were incorrectly displayed in the original article.

Managed aquifer recharge and changes in crop type or nutrient management on agricultural lands are promising approaches to address groundwater quality degradation by nitrate. Tools to assess nonpoint-source contaminant transport are needed to better understand the interaction between agricultural management practices and long-term nitrate dynamics in groundwater basins. This study investigates the