Enhanced Characterization of the Krania–Elassona Structure and Functioning Allogenic Karst Aquifer in Central Greece

Antonios Manakos,Nerantzis Kazakis,Maria Ntona,Konstantinos Chalikakis

doi:10.3390/geosciences9010015

Antonios Manakos, Nerantzis Kazakis + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010015

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Abstract

The present study highlights the importance of geological, hydrogeological, and hydrogeochemical characterization of a karst aquifer in building a conceptual model of the system. The karst system of Krania–Elassona in central Greece was chosen for this application. Hydrogeological research included geological mapping and hydrogeological analysis. Additionally, hydrochemical analysis of water samples was performed in boreholes, rivers, and the system’s main spring. The Krania–Elassona aquifer consists of three horizons of marbles and is characterized by mature karstification. The karst aquifer is characterized by allogenic recharge mainly from the River Deskatis that accounts for up to 92% of the total flow. Groundwater and spring water are generally characterized as good quality and are suitable for irrigation and domestic use. The water type of the spring water is classified as Mg-HCO3. The application of a SARIMA (Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model) model verified the conceptual model and successfully simulated spring discharge for a two-year period. The results of this study highlight the importance of basic hydrogeological research and the initial conceptualization of karst systems in reliably assessing groundwater vulnerability and modeling.

Highlights

Karst aquifers are a valuable source of fresh water worldwide [1] but are usually characterized by high vulnerability rendering them prone to external pollution [2]
The hydrological basin of River Deskatis covers an area of 192 km2 and crosses the karst aquifer for a distance of 19 km
The hydrological basin of River Palaiomantanos coincides with the karst aquifer over a relatively short zone (1000 m)

Summary

Introduction

Karst aquifers are a valuable source of fresh water worldwide [1] but are usually characterized by high vulnerability rendering them prone to external pollution [2]. Karst aquifers are susceptible to quantitative deterioration due to overexploitation [3]. They rarely coexist with human activities potentially harmful to groundwater and retain a good qualitative status. Increasing livestock activities and demands for agricultural land result in land use changes above karst hydrosystems and the abstraction of groundwater from these complex geological environments has increased along with their pollution risk. In Greece, karst aquifers are of utmost importance as they sustain the water supply for agricultural, domestic, and industrial activities. They significantly contribute to surface river runoff

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