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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
A multi-environmental tracer study to determine groundwater residence times and recharge in a structurally complex multi-aquifer system
Contributor:
Wilske, Cornelia;
Suckow, Axel;
Mallast, Ulf;
Meier, Christiane;
Merchel, Silke;
Merkel, Broder;
Pavetich, Stefan;
Rödiger, Tino;
Rugel, Georg;
Sachse, Agnes;
Weise, Stephan M.;
Siebert, Christian
Published:
Copernicus GmbH, 2020
Published in:
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 24 (2020) 1, Seite 249-267
Language:
English
DOI:
10.5194/hess-24-249-2020
ISSN:
1607-7938
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
Abstract. Despite being the main drinking water resource for over 5 million people, the water balance of the Eastern Mountain Aquifer system on the western side of the Dead Sea is poorly understood. The regional aquifer consists of fractured and karstified limestone – aquifers of Cretaceous age, and it can be separated into a Cenomanian aquifer (upper aquifer) and Albian aquifer (lower aquifer). Both aquifers are exposed along the mountain ridge around Jerusalem, which is the main recharge area. From here, the recharged groundwater flows in a highly karstified aquifer system towards the east and discharges in springs in the lower Jordan Valley and Dead Sea region. We investigated the Eastern Mountain Aquifer system for groundwater flow, groundwater age and potential mixtures, and groundwater recharge. We combined 36Cl ∕ Cl, tritium, and the anthropogenic gasesSF6, CFC-12 (chlorofluorocarbon) and CFC-11, while using CFC-113 as “dating” tracers to estimate the young water components inside the Eastern Mountain Aquifer system. Byapplication of lumped parameter models, we verified young groundwatercomponents from the last 10 to 30 years and an admixture of a groundwatercomponent older than about 70 years. Concentrations of nitrate,simazine (pesticide), acesulfame K (ACE-K; artificial sweetener) and naproxen (NAP; drug) in the groundwater were further indications of infiltration during the last 30 years. The combination of multiple environmental tracers and lumped parameter modelling helped to understand the groundwater age distribution and to estimate recharge despite scarce data in this very complex hydrogeological setting. Our groundwater recharge rates support groundwater management of this politically difficult area and can be used to inform and calibrate ongoing groundwater flow models.