Assessing the Effects of Epikarst on Groundwater Recharge and Regional Fast-Flow Pathways in a Karstic Aquifer via Impulse-Response Functions
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 20, Issue 11
Abstract
A statistical impulse-response model based on multiple-lag correlations was constructed to determine the delayed aquifer response of precipitation events due to the epikarst in a karstic aquifer. The model was used to identify the direction and travel time of slow-diffuse flows and bimodal flows including slow-diffuse and fast-concentrated flows in wet years. Fast-concentrated flows with 0–15-day delays between precipitation events and aquifer response indicated rapid drainage of recharged water from the epikarst. A computed 46–75-day delay in the aquifer response in slow-diffuse flows was the upper bound for the epikarst retention time. The model identified the activation of a new fast-concentrated flow path due to subsurface water storage beneath the precipitation-fed recharge area when the system had high antecedent moisture. For the wettest year following moderately low antecedent moisture conditions, the model identified regional flow pathways extending over a 50–180-km distance. These results suggest that impulse-response models can be used independently to gain insights into the location of preferential pathways and the role of epikarst retention time in aquifer recharge.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for this research was provided by the Southwest Research Institute’s Internal Research and Development program 20-R8220. The authors thank Miriam R. Juckett of Southwest Research Institute for reviewing the manuscript.
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 20 • Issue 11 • November 2015
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 15, 2014
Accepted: Jan 14, 2015
Published online: Feb 27, 2015
Discussion open until: Jul 27, 2015
Published in print: Nov 1, 2015
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