Deep groundwater flow as the main pathway for chemical outputs in a small headwater watershed (Mule Hole, South India)

Abstract

This study examined the water and chemical cycles of a small forested head catchment. Application of Cl− mass balance lead to the identification of a groundwater baseflow located into the active zone of the crystalline aquifer, below the weir. These findings indicate that groundwater contributes to a large part of chemical outputs at the catchment scale. This study shows that groundwater should not be ignored in most small watershed studies because this flow path and associated solutes are strongly significant for chemical balance assessment.