Abstract
Abstract. This study aims at understanding interactions between stream and aquifer in a glacierized alpine catchment. We specifically focused on a glacier forefield, for which continuous measurements of stream water electrical conductivity, discharge and depth to the water table were available over 4 consecutive years. Based on this data set, we developed a two-component mixing model in which the groundwater component was modelled using measured groundwater levels. The aquifer actively contributing to streamflow was assumed to be constituted of two linear storage units. Calibrating the model against measured total discharge yielded reliable sub-hourly estimates of discharge and insights into groundwater storage properties. Our conceptual model suggests that a near-surface aquifer with high hydraulic conductivity overlies a larger reservoir with longer response time.
Highlights
Groundwater (GW) storage dynamics in alpine catchments are difficult to determine but could influence the response of mountain hydrology to climate change
We focused on a glacier forefield, for which continuous measurements of stream water electrical conductivity, discharge and depth to the water table were available over 4 consecutive years
As stream water electrical conductivity (EC) was consistently anticorrelated to runoff, we considered using mixing models to study the relationship between EC and discharge at the basin scale
Summary
Groundwater (GW) storage dynamics in alpine catchments are difficult to determine but could influence the response of mountain hydrology to climate change. A better understanding of stream–aquifer interactions is necessary to predict hydrological flow patterns in the future. We estimate groundwater storage dynamics in the alpine headwater catchment fed by the Damma Glacier in central Switzerland. We focused on local properties of the groundwater flow in specific stream reaches (Magnusson et al, 2014; Kobierska, 2014). The aim is to use this specific knowledge to upscale our hydrogeological understanding to the whole glacier forefield. We seek to estimate the contribution of groundwater and hyporheic exchange to streamflow during different periods of the year, as well as the volume and response times of groundwater storage
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