Influence of Climate Factors on the Groundwater Resources of Coastal Tamilnadu

Abstract

Groundwater bodies which were recharged by precipitation represent a potential source of information on past climate conditions. The isotopic and elemental compositions of groundwater influenced by climate conditions at the time of recharge may serve as indicators of climate change. The relationship between climate and mean annual stable isotope contents of precipitation (Dansgaard, 1964; Rozanski et al., 1992) provides significant insights into paleoclimatic conditions. Therefore, selected confined aquifers can be used as continental paleoclimatic archives (Fontes et al., 1993). It is essential to appropriate aquifers to avoid the various processes and to have a good sampling strategy to make climatic interpretation. Such studies have been carried out, for example, in Africa (Dray et al., 1983; Andrews et al., 1994), Europe (Rozanski, 1985; Stute and Deak 1989), North America (Claassen, 1986; Phillips et al., 1986; Stute et al., 1992; Plummer, 1993; Dutton, 1995) and Australia (Davidson and Airey, 1982; Jacobson et al., 1989). (1999) discussed the hydrochemical trends, paleorecharge and groundwater ages in the fissured chalk aquifer of the London and Berkshire basins, UK. Isotope stratigraphy of the major ice caps has been examined by various groups to reconstruct the Holocene and late Pleistocene climate (Koerner, 1989). In Asia, (1998), obtained the isotopic signature of paleoclimate for the past 30 ka in ground waters of southern India.