Karstic Groundwater Origin and Recharge Process in Zagros Region: Insights From Stable Isotopes (δ18O and Δ2H) Approach

Zagros is an important region with high quality and quantity karstic water resources in the Middle East. This region provides a dominant part of potable and agricultural water needs for its inhabitants as well as agricultural water needs for nearby regions. Therefore, studying karstic water resources in Zagros by accurate methods such as stable isotopes techniques is very important. In this investigation, hydrological characteristics of groundwater resources including groundwater origin, recharge rate and recharge elevation have been studied using stable isotopes (18O and 2H). The results show that stable isotopes signatures in groundwater resources show notable variations across Zagros and groundwater resource mainly plot on south and west Zagros meteoric water lines. In addition, recharge elevation and recharge rate in groundwater resources also show significant variations in Zagros. Finally, the stable isotopes signatures in precipitation and groundwater has been used to study the role of each dominant air mass (contribution percentage of precipitation events originate from each air mass) in groundwater resources recharge using Simmr package in R language. Overall, groundwater resources in Zagros is recharged by precipitation events originate from various air masses and they have various recharge rates and recharge elevations.

Investigation of Hydrochemical Parameters of Water Resources in Kamarderaz Anticline Plunge in the Southwest of IRAN

Changes in the quality of karstic water resources affected by the proximity to sources of salinity such as evaporate formations and oil brine pose major challenges to such water resources, especially in Khuzestan province, Iran. The karstic water resources of the Kamarderaz anticline plunge in Izeh city in Khuzestan province have hampered water supply management in the region. To determine water quality and the causes of water salinity in the study area, the hydrochemical parameters of the existing water resources were accordingly evaluated. To conduct hydrochemical studies, 21 samples were collected from different water sources of Kamarderaz anticline plunge in 2017–2018. To analyze the garnered data, Piper and Durov diagrams, composite graphs, ion exchange graphs, ion correlation diagrams, salinity source diagrams and ion ratios were used. The results showed that SO42−, Cl−, and Ca2+ in the water resources of the study area were likely due to several sources including carbonate minerals, gypsum dissolution, anhydrite, halite as well as oil brine. Besides, Br/Cl, I/Cl ion ratios as well as Br-Cl and SO4-Cl diagrams revealed the mixing of karstic freshwater with oil brine in the region. The result of TOC analysis also showed that hydrocarbon materials were present in the well of Atabaki (WT). Moreover, elemental sulfur and sulfur isotope analysis showed that the process of thermochemical sulfate reduction or bacterial sulfate reduction in the presence of hydrocarbons produced H2S gas, and eventually penetrated the WT and WH1.

Prospectivity Modeling of Karstic Groundwater Using a Sequential Exploration Approach in Tepal Area, Iran

The purpose of this study is water prospectivity modeling (WPM) for recognizing karstic water-bearing zones by using analyses of geo-exploration data in Kal-Qorno valley, located in Tepal area, north of Iran. For this, a sequential exploration method applied on geo-evidential data to delineate target areas for further exploration. In this regard, two major exploration phases including regional and local scales were performed. In the first phase, indicator geological features, structures and lithological units, were used to model groundwater prospectivity as a regional scale. In this phase, for karstic WPM, fuzzy lithological and structural evidence layers were generated and combined using fuzzy operators. After generating target areas using WPM, in the second phase geophysical surveys including gravimetry and geoelectrical resistivity were carried out on the recognized high potential zones as a local scale exploration. Finally the results of geophysical analyses in the second phase were used to select suitable drilling locations to access and extract karstic groundwater in the study area.

Integrated management of karstic waters – A case study of the Zlatibor mountain massif, Serbia

<p>The Zlatibor mountain massif has significantly changed for the past 20 years due to the&nbsp; development of tourism, which has resulted in an increase in water consumption and environmental threats. This area abounds in considerable surface and groundwater resources, which are not utilised adequately. Surface water characterized by lower quality and unstable regimes was utilised for water supply, while groundwater with better qualitative properties was utilised in a small percentage. A number of significant and gradually developing problems are the direct consequence of this concept of water resource utilisation. So far, water supply of central settlements has been based on the concept of the utilisation of surface water from the Zlatibor reservoir which was built in the year 1972, nowadays being filled up above the designed level, while the centralized water supply of other settlements has not been adequately solved generally. Previous research has indicated that this area is characterized by karstic groundwater reserves of regional character, and in most cases they are not adequately utilised, which has opened the possibility of their proper utilisation and the change to a new concept of water management in the area of Zlatibor.</p> <div> <p>A new concept of water management implies the utilisation of karstic water, primarily, to resolve the public water supply issue. In the future, a number of benefits such as: resolving of centralized water supply issues, reduction of surface water pollution, creating opportunities for the utilisation of surface water for other purposes, creating new tourist zones, reduction of environmental pollution, improvement of the general welfare of the population, etc., will be achieved by this concept. From the aforesaid, it can be concluded that a number of interconnected and integrated benefits will be gained by full implementation of the new concept of karst water utilisation. The application of the concept designed in this way, ultimately implies the establishment of an integrated management of all karst water in the area of Zlatibor. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary, primarily, to solve the problem of adequate public water supply by karstic groundwater, which implies the establishment of integrated karstic water management in this area, and that is the focus of this paper.</p> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p>