Recharge, storage and discharge of groundwater in some sandstone areas in Central Europe

Abstract

Recharge curves in relation to precipitation and altitude (temperature) are derived from evapotranspiration data and compared with the results of other methods to determine groundwater replenishment in areas of strongly and moderately cemented sandstones as well as of loose sands (e.g. lysimeters). Infiltration and percolation of groundwater from a sandy cover into jointed sandstones, and discharge of groundwater into influent streamlets as intermittent subsurface flow, rapidly fluctuating discharge of contact springs, and comparatively constant base flow into effluent watercourses is demonstrated by a simplified model using average permeabilities. Under natural conditions the maximum difference between the summed up positive and negative annual storage values is equivalent to the mean groundwater discharge of 2–2.5 years in moderately cemented sandstone areas. The corresponding change of piezometric surface amounts to about 10 m.