Abstract

This paper analyses complex hydrological and hydrogeological properties of a deep karstic lake and its surroundings. Red Lake (Croatia) is a cryptodepression in the karst massif rich in well-developed extreme surface karst forms and underground conduit system. It is interconnected with other close water bodies and offers information on groundwater movement and characteristics. The article analyses hourly data on precipitation and water levels in Red Lake and compares them with data on discharges from near Opačac Spring for a period of five years. Data gaps in the record caused by operational interruptions of the measuring equipment were compensated by the use of neural networks. The study of the hydrodynamics of karst surroundings under recession was conducted by observing the receding water levels and corresponding lake’s volumetry. By isolating recession periods from the record of integral water volume change, some of the common techniques in recession analysis were performed aiming to acquire new knowledge on the hydrogeological regime of the karst system at the field scale. Additionally, spectral analysis was used as another tool of karst system characterisation since it enables the signal decomposition in the frequency domain and detection of dominant flow processes.

Highlights

  • The dynamics of water in karst, a specific area with the circulation of surface and groundwater and with an abundance of different landforms, is extremely complex and dependent on various mechanisms and parameters

  • According to Stevanovic [2], up to 9.2% of the world’s population are consumers of karst water, which further raises the issue of water availability in karst

  • Several authors address the current problem of water availability in karst areas

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Summary

Introduction

The dynamics of water in karst, a specific area with the circulation of surface and groundwater and with an abundance of different landforms, is extremely complex and dependent on various mechanisms and parameters. The objective of this work is to learn more about the dynamics of karst water in Red Lake and the wider area, which is not free of negative impacts on karst aquifers, and to define the prevailing hydrologic regime. Based on research conducted between 1955 and 1958, Petrik [11] defines Red Lake as a younger doline of all karst features in the area [10]. He emphasises the common origin of the waters of Red and Blue Lake. According to Petrik, the different fluctuations of the water level in lakes are related to the unequal capacity of karst conduits [12]. Increased water use for the needs of the population, growing tourism and agriculture in the light of climate change can have a negative impact on surface and groundwater bodies

Data Used
Recession Curve Analysis
Correlation and Spectral Analysis
Findings
AAnnaallyyssiiss iinn SSppaattiiaall aanndd FFrrequency Domain

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