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Broers HP, van Vliet M, Kivits T, Vernes R, Brussée T, Sültenfuß J, Fraters D. Nitrate trend reversal in Dutch dual-permeability chalk springs, evaluated by tritium-based groundwater travel time distributions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 951:175250. [PMID: 39127204 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Historical use of fertilizer and manure on farmlands is known to have a lasting impact on ecosystems and water resources, but few studies assess the legacy of nitrate pollution on groundwater and surface water after farming applications were reduced. We studied the response of nitrate in spring water to a reduction of nitrogen fertilizer applications in agriculture realized since the mid-1980s. We assessed the travel time distribution of groundwater based on a time series of tritium measurements for 90 springs and small brooks that drain a dual porosity chalk aquifer. The travel time distributions were constrained using the tritium data in combination with time series of nitrate concentrations, applying a shape-free travel time distribution model. A clear trend reversal of nitrate concentrations was observed and simulated for springs with a large fraction of young water (< 30 years old) whereas the nitrate response in springs with relatively older water was attenuated and delayed. We conclude that obtaining a time series of tritium data helps to constrain age distributions of water that is discharged from dual permeability aquifers. The fraction of water aged <30 years was a meaningful parameter to distinguish between different types of springs. Nitrate trends in springs that drain large fractions of young water (> 0.6) show higher peak concentrations, shorter lag-time between leaching and outflow peaks and steeper declines after trend reversal, relative to trends in springs which are dominantly fed by older groundwater. The study thus shows that the nitrate legacy of groundwater systems is strongly determined by the range of their travel time distributions, and trend reversal in receiving springs and surface waters may appear within 10 to 15 years after measures to reduce nitrate losses from farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Peter Broers
- TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 80015, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Mariëlle van Vliet
- TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 80015, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Tano Kivits
- TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 80015, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ronald Vernes
- TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 80015, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Timo Brussée
- National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Jürgen Sültenfuß
- University of Bremen, Institute of Environmental Physics, Department of Oceanography, Bremen, Germany
| | - Dico Fraters
- National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
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Filippini M, Segadelli S, Dinelli E, Failoni M, Stumpp C, Vignaroli G, Casati T, Tiboni B, Gargini A. Hydrogeological assessment of a major spring discharging from a calcarenitic aquifer with implications on resilience to climate change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169770. [PMID: 38176553 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Groundwater is a vital source of freshwater, serving ecological, environmental, and societal needs. In regions with springs as a predominant source, such as the Northern Apennines (Italy), resilience of these springs to climate-induced recharge changes is crucial for water supply and ecosystem preservation. In this study, Nadìa Spring in the Northern Apennines is examined through an unprecedented array of multidisciplinary analyses to understand its resilience and unique characteristics. The Nadìa Spring's exceptional response, characterized by a sustained base flow even in the face of drought, is attributed to a combination of factors including a substantial groundwater reservoir, a complex network of faults/fractures, slope instabilities, and karst dissolution. The investigation reveals a dual porosity system in the aquifer, consisting of fast-flow conduits and a diffuse fracture network. While fast-flow conduits contribute to rapid responses during high-flow conditions, the diffuse system becomes predominant during low-flow periods. This dual porosity structure helps the spring maintain a consistent base flow in the face of climate-induced recharge fluctuations. The study shows that Nadìa Spring exhibits remarkable resilience to year-to-year variations in recharge, as evidenced by stable minimum discharge values. While the spring has undergone a decline in discharge over the past century due to long-term climate change, it is becoming more resilient over interdecadal timescales due to transition to a diffuse drainage system that mitigates the impact of reduced recharge. The availability of a century-long spring discharge monitoring was a crucial piece of information for understanding the spring's discharge response and drawing conclusions about its long-term resilience to recharge fluctuations. Continuing long-term monitoring and research in the future will be essential to validate and expand upon these findings in the context of changing climatic conditions. This research serves as a model for assessing strategic groundwater discharge points in geological settings similar to the Northern Apennines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Filippini
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences - BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Zamboni, 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Stefano Segadelli
- Geological, Seismic and Soil Service, Emilia-Romagna Region Administration, Viale della Fiera 8, 4027 Bologna, Italy
| | - Enrico Dinelli
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences - BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Zamboni, 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Michele Failoni
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences - BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Zamboni, 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Christine Stumpp
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Soil Physics and Rural Water Management, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gianluca Vignaroli
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences - BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Zamboni, 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Tommaso Casati
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences - BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Zamboni, 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Beatrice Tiboni
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences - BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Zamboni, 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gargini
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences - BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, via Zamboni, 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy
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Worthington SRH. Estimating Effective Porosity in Bedrock Aquifers. GROUND WATER 2022; 60:169-179. [PMID: 34989413 DOI: 10.1111/gwat.13171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Flow in many bedrock aquifers is through fracture networks. Point to point tracer tests using applied tracers provide a direct measure of time of travel and are most useful for determining effective porosity. Calculated values from these tests are typically between 10-4 and 10-2 (0.01% to 1%), with these low values indicating preferential flow through fracture and channel networks. Tracer tests are not commonly used in site investigations, and specific yield is often used as a proxy for effective porosity. The most popular methods have used centrifuge measurements, water table fluctuations, pumping tests, and packer tests. Specific yield varies substantially with the testing method. No method is as reliable as tracer testing for providing estimates of effective porosity, but all methods provide complementary insights on aquifer structure. Temporal and spatial scaling effects suggest that bedrock aquifers have hierarchical structures, with a network of more permeable fractures and channels, which are connected to less permeable fractures and to the matrix. Consequences of the low effective porosities include groundwater velocities that often exceed 100 m/d and more frequent microbial contamination than in aquifers in unconsolidated sediments. The large uncertainty over the magnitude of effective porosity in bedrock aquifers makes it an important parameter to determine in studies where time of travel is of interest.
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Sorensen JPR, Aldous P, Bunting SY, McNally S, Townsend BR, Barnett MJ, Harding T, La Ragione RM, Stuart ME, Tipper HJ, Pedley S. Seasonality of enteric viruses in groundwater-derived public water sources. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 207:117813. [PMID: 34785409 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the seasonal prevalence of seven enteric viruses in groundwater-derived public water sources distributed across the dominant aquifers of England. Sampling targeted four periods in the hydrological cycle with typically varying microbial risks, as indicated using a decade of Escherichia coli prevalence data. Viruses were concentrated onsite by filtration of raw groundwater, and extracted nucleic acid (NA) was amplified by qPCR or RT-qPCR. Seven out of eight sources, all aquifers, and 31% of samples were positive for viral NA. The most frequently detected viral NA targets were Hepatitis A virus (17% samples, 63% sites), norovirus GI (14% samples, 38% sites), and Hepatitis E virus (7% samples, 25% sites). Viral NA presence was episodic, being most prevalent and at its highest concentration during November and January, the main groundwater recharge season, with 89% of all positive detects occurring during a rising water table. Seasonal norovirus NA detections matched its seasonal incidence within the population. Viral NA is arriving with groundwater recharge, as opposed to persisting for long-periods within the saturated zone. Neither total coliforms nor E. coli were significant predictors of viral NA presence-absence, and there was limited co-occurrence between viruses. Nevertheless, a source with an absence of E. coli in regularly collected historical data is unlikely to be at risk of viral contamination. To manage potential groundwater viral contamination via risk assessment, larger scale studies are required to understand key risk factors, with the evidence here suggesting viral NA is widespread across a range of typical microbial risk settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Phil Aldous
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK; AECOM, Alencon Link, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 7PP, UK
| | - Sarah Y Bunting
- British Geological Survey, Maclean Building, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Susan McNally
- Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7AL, UK
| | - Barry R Townsend
- British Geological Survey, Maclean Building, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Megan J Barnett
- British Geological Survey, Environmental Science Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
| | - Tessa Harding
- Thomson Environmental Consultants, Compass House, Surrey Research Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7AG, UK
| | - Roberto M La Ragione
- Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7AL, UK
| | - Marianne E Stuart
- British Geological Survey, Maclean Building, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Holly J Tipper
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Steve Pedley
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
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Medici G, West LJ. Groundwater flow velocities in karst aquifers; importance of spatial observation scale and hydraulic testing for contaminant transport prediction. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:43050-43063. [PMID: 34125385 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14840-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We review scale dependence of hydraulic conductivities and effective porosities for prediction of contaminant transport in four UK karst aquifers. Approaches for obtaining hydraulic parameters include core plug, slug, pumping and pulse tests, calibration of groundwater flow models and spring recession curves. Core plug and slug tests are unsuitable because they do not characterize a large enough volume to include a representative fracture network. Pumping test values match regional-scale hydraulic conductivities from flow modelling for the less intensively karstified aquifers: Magnesian Limestone, Jurassic Limestone and Cretaceous Chalks. Reliable bulk hydraulic conductivities were not available for the intensively karstified Carboniferous Limestone due to dominance of flow through pipe conduits in Mendips. Here, the only hydraulic conductivity value found from spring recession is one order of magnitude higher than that indicated by pumping tests. For all four carbonate aquifers, effective porosities assumed for transport modelling are two orders of magnitude higher than those found from tracer and hydrogeophysical tests. Thus, a combination of low hydraulic conductivities and assumed flowing porosities resulted in underestimated flow velocities. The UK karst aquifers are characterized by a range of hydraulic behaviours that fit those of karst aquifers worldwide. Indeed, underestimation of flow velocity due to inappropriate parameter selection is common to intensively karstified aquifers of southern France, north-western Germany and Italy. Similar issues arise for the Canadian Silurian carbonates where the use of high effective porosities (e.g. 5%) in transport models leads to underestimation of groundwater velocities. We recommend values in the range of 0.01-1% for such aquifers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Medici
- G360 Institute of Groundwater Research, University of Guelph, Stone Road, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Landis Jared West
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, W Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
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Medici G, Smeraglia L, Torabi A, Botter C. Review of Modeling Approaches to Groundwater Flow in Deformed Carbonate Aquifers. GROUND WATER 2021; 59:334-351. [PMID: 33368217 DOI: 10.1111/gwat.13069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We discuss techniques to represent groundwater flow in carbonate aquifers using the three existing modeling approaches: equivalent porous medium, conduit network, and discrete fracture network. Fractures in faulted stratigraphic successions are characterized by dominant sets of sub-vertical joints. Grid rotation is recommended using the equivalent porous medium to match higher hydraulic conductivity with the dominant orientation of the joints. Modeling carbonate faults with throws greater than approximately 100 m is more challenging. Such faults are characterized by combined conduit-barrier behavior. The barrier behavior can be modeled using the Horizontal Flow Barrier Package with a low-permeability vertical barrier inserted to represent the impediment of horizontal flow in faults characterized by sharp drops of the piezometric surface. Cavities can occur parallel to the strike of normal faults generating channels for the groundwater. In this case, flow models need to account for turbulence using a conduit network approach. Channels need to be embedded in an equivalent porous medium due to cavities a few centimeters large, which are present in carbonate aquifers even in areas characterized by low hydraulic gradients. Discrete fracture network modeling enables representation of individual rock discontinuities in three dimensions. This approach is used in non-heavily karstified aquifers at industrial sites and was recently combined with the equivalent porous medium to simulate diffusivity in the matrix. Following this review, we recommend that the future research combines three practiced modeling approaches: equivalent porous medium, discrete fracture network, and conduit network, in order to capture structural and flow aspects in the modeling of groundwater in carbonate rocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Medici
- G360 Institute for Groundwater Research, College of Engineering and Physical Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Luca Smeraglia
- Instituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Anita Torabi
- Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Postboks 1047 Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway
| | - Chartlotte Botter
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
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Medici G, West LJ, Chapman PJ, Banwart SA. Prediction of contaminant transport in fractured carbonate aquifer types: a case study of the Permian Magnesian Limestone Group (NE England, UK). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:24863-24884. [PMID: 31240647 PMCID: PMC6689290 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05525-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Viruses and bacteria which are characterized by finite lives in the subsurface are rapidly transported via fractures and cavities in fractured and karst aquifers. Here, we demonstrate how the coupling of a robust outcrop characterization and hydrogeophysical borehole testing is essential for prediction of contaminant velocities and hence wellhead protection areas. To show this, we use the dolostones of the Permian Magnesian Limestone aquifer in NE England, where we incorporated such information in a groundwater flow and particle tracking model. Within this aquifer, flow in relatively narrow (mechanical aperture of ~ 10-1-1 mm) fractures is coupled with that in pipe cavities (~ 0.20-m diameter) following normal faults. Karstic cavities and narrow fractures are hydraulically very different. Thus, the solutional features are represented within the model by a pipe network (which accounts for turbulence) embedded within an equivalent porous medium representing Darcian flowing fractures. Incorporation of fault conduits in a groundwater model shows that they strongly influence particle tracking results. Despite this, away from faulted areas, the effective flow porosity of the equivalent porous medium remains a crucial parameter. Here, we recommend as most appropriate a relatively low value of effective porosity (of 2.8 × 10-4) based on borehole hydrogeophysical testing. This contrasts with earlier studies using particle tracking analyses on analogous carbonate aquifers, which used much higher values of effective porosity, typically ~ 102 times higher than our value, resulting in highly non-conservative estimates of aquifer vulnerability. Low values of effective flow porosities yield modelled flow velocities ranging from ~ 100 up to ~ 500 m/day in un-faulted areas. However, the high fracturing density and presence of karstic cavities yield modelled flow velocities up to ~ 9000 m/day in fault zones. The combination of such flow velocities along particle traces results in 400-day particle traces up to 8-km length, implying the need for large well protection areas and high aquifer vulnerability to slowly degrading contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Medici
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, W Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Landis Jared West
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, W Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Pippa Joanne Chapman
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, W Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Steven Allan Banwart
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, W Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
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Brookfield AE, Macpherson GL, Covington MD. Effects of Changing Meteoric Precipitation Patterns on Groundwater Temperature in Karst Environments. GROUND WATER 2017; 55:227-236. [PMID: 27643637 DOI: 10.1111/gwat.12456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate predictions indicate that precipitation patterns will change and average air temperatures will increase across much of the planet. These changes will alter surface water and groundwater temperatures which can significantly affect the local and regional environment. Here, we examine the role of precipitation timing in changes to groundwater temperature in carbonate-karst aquifers using measured groundwater level and temperature data from the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research Site, Kansas. We demonstrate that shifts to increased cool-season precipitation may mitigate the increases in groundwater temperature produced by increases in average annual air temperature. In karst, the solution-enlarged conduits allow faster and focused recharge, and the recharge-event temperature can strongly influence the groundwater temperature in the aquifer. Our field data and analysis show that predictions of future groundwater conditions in karst aquifers need to consider changes in precipitation patterns, in addition to changes to average annual air temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - G L Macpherson
- Department of Geology, University of Kansas, 1475 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045
| | - M D Covington
- Department of Geosciences, University of Arkansas, 28 Gearhart Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701
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Ghasemizadeh R, Yu X, Butscher C, Padilla IY, Alshawabkeh A. Improved regional groundwater flow modeling using drainage features: a case study of the central northern karst aquifer system of Puerto Rico (USA). HYDROGEOLOGY JOURNAL 2016; 24:1463-1478. [PMID: 30416370 PMCID: PMC6224168 DOI: 10.1007/s10040-016-1419-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
In northern Puerto Rico (USA), subsurface conduit networks with unknown characteristics, and surface features such as springs, rivers, lagoons and wetlands, drain the coastal karst aquifers. In this study, drain lines connecting sinkholes and springs are used to improve the developed regional model by simulating the drainage effects of conduit networks. Implemented in an equivalent porous media (EPM) approach, the model with drains is able to roughly reproduce the spring discharge hydrographs in response to rainfall. Hydraulic conductivities are found to be scale dependent and significantly increase with higher test radius, indicating scale dependency of the EPM approach. Similar to other karst regions in the world, hydraulic gradients are steeper where the transmissivity is lower approaching the coastline. This study enhances current understanding of the complex flow patterns in karst aquifers and suggests that using a drainage feature improves modeling results where available data on conduit characteristics are minimal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Ghasemizadeh
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xue Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christoph Butscher
- Department of Engineering Geology, Institute of Applied Geosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ingrid Y. Padilla
- Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, PR 00682, USA
| | - Akram Alshawabkeh
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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10
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Isotopes as Tracers of Water Origin in and Near a Regional Carbonate Aquifer: The Southern Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico. WATER 2014. [DOI: 10.3390/w6020301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Neri AC, Sánchez LE. A procedure to evaluate environmental rehabilitation in limestone quarries. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2010; 91:2225-2237. [PMID: 20630648 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2009] [Revised: 05/10/2010] [Accepted: 06/02/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
A procedure to evaluate mine rehabilitation practices during the operational phase was developed and validated. It is based on a comparison of actually observed or documented practices with internationally recommended best practices (BP). A set of 150 BP statements was derived from international guides in order to establish the benchmark. The statements are arranged in six rehabilitation programs under three categories: (1) planning (2) operational and (3) management, corresponding to the adoption of the plan-do-check-act management systems model to mine rehabilitation. The procedure consists of (i) performing technical inspections guided by a series of field forms containing BP statements; (ii) classifying evidences in five categories; and (iii) calculating conformity indexes and levels. For testing and calibration purposes, the procedure was applied to nine limestone quarries and conformity indexes were calculated for the rehabilitation programs in each quarry. Most quarries featured poor planning practices, operational practices reached high conformity levels in 50% of the cases and management practices scored moderate conformity. Despite all quarries being ISO 14001 certified, their management systems pay low attention to issues pertaining to land rehabilitation and biodiversity. The best results were achieved by a quarry whose expansion was recently submitted to the environmental impact assessment process, suggesting that public scrutiny may play a positive role in enhancing rehabilitation practices. Conformity indexes and levels can be used to chart the evolution of rehabilitation practices at regular intervals, to establish corporate goals and for communication with stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Claudia Neri
- Escola Politécnica, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 2373 São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil.
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12
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Detwiler RL. Permeability alteration due to mineral dissolution in partially saturated fractures. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009jb007206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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14
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