Eos · 2006 · 22 citations · 1 references
Natural ResourcesEarth SciencesHydrologyGroundwater HydrologyHydrogeologyKarst HydrologyAquifer CharacterizationAquifer FlowGroundwater StorageKarst AquifersKarst GeologyKarst HydrogeologyHydrogeological InvestigationHydrogeological ModellingKarst Aquifer CharacterizationKarst Aquifer HydrologyKarst Aquifer ModelingKarst GroundwaterStorageWater Fluxes
Karst aquifers, formed by the dissolution of carbonate rocks such as limestone or dolomite, supply drinking water to 25% of the global population.Their highly variable sizes and heterogeneous hydrogeological characteristics are difficult to characterize and present challenges for modeling of storage capacities. Little is known about the surface and groundwater interconnection, about the connection between the porous formations and the draining cave and conduits, and about the variability of groundwater volume within the system. Usually, an aquifer is considered as a black box, where water fluxes are monitored as input and output. However, water inflow and outflow are highly variable and cannot be measured directly.
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