Abstract
Water resources management is one of the most important challenges worldwide because water represents a vital resource for sustaining life and the environment. With the aim of sustainable groundwater management, the identification of aquifer recharge areas is a useful tool for water resources protection. In a well-developed karst aquifer, environmental isotopes provide support for identifying aquifer recharge areas, residence time and interconnections between aquifer systems. This study deals with the use of environmental isotopes to identify the main recharge area of a karst aquifer in the Upper Valley of Aniene River (Central Italy). The analysis of 18O/16O and 2H/H values and their spatial distribution make it possible to trace back groundwater recharge areas based on average isotope elevations. The Inverse Hydrogeological Balance Method was used to validate spring recharge elevations obtained by the use of stable isotopes. Areas impacted by direct and rapid rainfall recharge into the study area were delineated, showing groundwater flowpaths from the boundaries to the core of the aquifer. The results of this study demonstrate the contribution that spatial and temporal isotope changes can provide to the identification of groundwater flowpaths in a karst basin, taking into account the hydrogeological setting.
Highlights
Karst aquifer protection is the most important environmental factor for water sustainable management worldwide, as groundwater coming from karst aquifers is a key source of freshwater for human supply.Due to the impacts of climate change and the increase of anthropogenic activities, groundwater exploitation in karst aquifers requires special strategies to prevent their quality and quantity depletion and to support water resources management [1,2]
This study deals with the use of environmental isotopes to identify the main recharge area of a karst aquifer in the Upper Valley of Aniene River (Central Italy)
The traditional stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen (2 H/H and 18 O/16 O) are recognizable tracers that are related to the water cycle and have been widely used in hydrology and water resources for decades [16]
Summary
Karst aquifer protection is the most important environmental factor for water sustainable management worldwide, as groundwater coming from karst aquifers is a key source of freshwater for human supply. The traditional stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen (2 H/H and 18 O/16 O) are recognizable tracers that are related to the water cycle and have been widely used in hydrology and water resources for decades [16]. These isotopes are often applied in hydrogeological investigations to study precipitation, groundwater recharge, groundwater-surface water interactions, delineation of flow systems and quantification of mass-balance relationships [13]. Hydrogeological Balance Method [25] and the natural occurring of stable isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen, to identify the boundaries of the main infiltration areas of a karst aquifer in Central Italy
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