Evaporation capacity is an important factor that cannot be ignored when judging whether extreme precipitation events will produce groundwater recharge. The evaporation layer’s role in groundwater recharge was evaluated using a lysimeter simulation experiment in the desert area of Dunhuang, in the western part of the Hexi Corridor in northwestern China’s Gansu Province. The annual precipitation in the study area is extremely low, averaging 38.87 mm during the 60-year study period, and daily pan evaporation amounts to 2,486 mm. Three simulated precipitation regimes (normal, 10 mm; ordinary annual maximum, 21 mm; and extreme, 31 mm) were used in the lysimeter simulation to allow monitoring of water movement and weighing to detect evaporative losses. The differences in soil-water content to a depth of 50 cm in the soil profile significantly affected rainfall infiltration during the initial stages of rainfall events. It was found that the presence of a dry 50-cm-deep sand layer was the key factor for “potential recharge” after the three rainfall events. Daily precipitation events less than 20 mm did not produce groundwater recharge because of the barrier effect created by the dry sand. Infiltration totaled 0.68 mm and penetrated to a depth below 50 cm with 31 mm of rainfall, representing potential recharge equivalent to 1.7 % of the rainfall. This suggests that only extreme precipitation events offer the possibility of recharge of groundwater in this extremely arid area.

Isotopic and hydrogeochemical analysis, combined with temperature investigation, was conducted to characterize the flow system in the carbonate aquifer at Taiyuan, northern China. The previous division of karst subsystems in Taiyuan, i.e. the Xishan (XMK), Dongshan (DMK) and Beishan (BMK) mountain systems, were also examined. The measured δD, δ ¹⁸O and ³He/⁴He in water indicate that both thermal and cold groundwaters have a meteoric origin rather than deep crustal origin. Age dating using ³H and ¹⁴C shows that groundwater samples from discharge zones along faults located at the margin of mountains in the XMK and DMK are a mixture of paleometeoric thermal waters and younger cold waters from local flow systems. ¹⁴C data suggest that the average age was about 10,000 years and 4,000 years for thermal and cold groundwater in discharge zones, respectively. Based on the data of temperature, water solute chemical properties, ¹⁴C, δ ³⁴SSO₄, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ ¹⁸O, different flow paths in the XMK and DMK were distinguished. Shallow groundwater passes through the upper Ordovician formations, producing younger waters at the discharge zone (low temperature and ionic concentration and enriched D and ¹⁸O). Deep groundwater flows through the lower Ordovician and Cambrian formations, producing older waters at the discharge zone (high ionic concentration and temperature and depleted D and ¹⁸O). At the margin of mountains, groundwater in deep systems flows vertically up along faults and mixes with groundwater from shallow flow systems. By contrast, only a single flow system through the entire Cambrian to Ordovician formations occurs in the BMK.

Periodic releases from an upstream dam cause rapid stage fluctuations in the Lower Colorado River near Austin, Texas, USA. These daily pulses modulate fluid exchange and residence times in the hyporheic zone where biogeochemical reactions are typically pronounced. The effects of a small flood pulse under low-flow conditions on surface-water/groundwater exchange and biogeochemical processes were studied by monitoring and sampling from two dense transects of wells perpendicular to the river. The first transect recorded water levels and the second transect was used for water sample collection at three depths. Samples were collected from 12 wells every 2 h over a 24-h period which had a 16-cm flood pulse. Analyses included nutrients, carbon, major ions, and stable isotopes of water. The relatively small flood pulse did not cause significant mixing in the parafluvial zone. Under these conditions, the river and groundwater were decoupled, showed potentially minimal mixing at the interface, and did not exhibit any discernible denitrification of river-borne nitrate. The chemical patterns observed in the parafluvial zone can be explained by evaporation of groundwater with little mixing with river water. Thus, large pulses may be necessary in order for substantial hyporheic mixing and exchange to occur. The large regulated river under a low-flow and small flood pulse regime functioned mainly as a gaining river with little hydrologic connectivity beyond a narrow hyporheic zone.

Variability in baseline groundwater methane concentrations and isotopic compositions was assessed while comparing free and dissolved gas sampling approaches for a groundwater monitoring well in Alberta (Canada) over an 8-year period. Methane concentrations in dissolved gas samples (n = 12) were on average 4,380 ± 2,452 μg/L, yielding a coefficient of variation (CV) >50 %. Methane concentrations in free gas samples (n = 12) were on average 228,756 ± 62,498 ppm by volume, yielding a CV of 27 %. Quantification of combined sampling, sample handling and analytical uncertainties was assessed via triplicate sampling (CV of 19 % and 12 % for free gas and dissolved gas methane concentrations, respectively). Free and dissolved gas samples yielded comparable methane concentration patterns and there was evidence that sampling operations and pumping rates had a marked influence on the obtained methane concentrations in free gas. δ¹³CCH₄ and δ²HCH₄ values of methane were essentially constant (−78.6 ± 1.3 and −300 ± 3 ‰, respectively) throughout the observation period, suggesting that methane was derived from the same biogenic source irrespective of methane concentration variations. The isotopic composition of methane constitutes a robust and highly valuable baseline parameter and increasing δ¹³CCH₄ and δ²HCH₄ values during repeat sampling may indicate influx of thermogenic methane. Careful sampling and analytical procedures with identical and repeatable approaches are required in baseline-monitoring programs to generate methane concentration and isotope data for groundwater that can be reliably compared to repeat measurements once potential impact from oil and gas development, for example, may occur.

Identifying a good site for groundwater exploitation in hard-rock terrains is a challenging task. In Sinai, Egypt, groundwater is the only source of water for local inhabitants. Interpretation of satellite data for delineation of lithological units and weathered zones, and for mapping of lineament density and their trends, provides a valuable aid for the location of groundwater promising areas. Complex deformational histories of the wide range of lithological formations add to the difficulty. Groundwater prospect mapping is a systematic approach that considers the major controlling factors which influence the aquifer and quality of groundwater. The presented study aims to delineate, identify, model and map groundwater potential zones in arid South Sinai using remote sensing data and a geographic information system (GIS) to prepare various hydromorphogeological thematic maps such as maps of slope, drainage density, lithology, landforms, structural lineaments, rainfall intensity and plan curvature. The controlling-factor thematic maps are each allocated a fixed score and weight, computed by using a linear equation approach. Furthermore, each weighted thematic map is statistically computed to yield a groundwater potential zone map of the study area. The groundwater potential zones thus obtained were divided into five categories (very poor, poor, moderate, good and very good) and were validated using the relation between the zone and the spatial distribution of productive wells and of previous geophysical investigations from a literature review. The results show the groundwater potential zones in the study area, and create awareness for better planning and management of groundwater resources.

A numerical groundwater model of the weathered crystalline aquifer of Ursuya (a major water source for the north-western Pyrenees region, south-western France) has been computed based on monitoring of hydrological, hydrodynamic and meteorological parameters over 3 years. The equivalent porous media model was used to simulate groundwater flow in the different layers of the weathered profile: from surface to depth, the weathered layer (5 · 10⁻⁸ ≤ K ≤ 5 · 10⁻⁷ m s⁻¹), the transition layer (7 · 10⁻⁸ ≤ K ≤ 1 · 10⁻⁵ m s⁻¹, the highest values being along major discontinuities), two fissured layers (3.5 · 10⁻⁸ ≤ K ≤ 5 · 10⁻⁴ m s⁻¹, depending on weathering profile conditions and on the existence of active fractures), and the hard-rock basement simulated with a negligible hydraulic conductivity (K = 1 10 ⁻⁹). Hydrodynamic properties of these five calculation layers demonstrate both the impact of the weathering degree and of the discontinuities on the groundwater flow. The great agreement between simulated and observed hydraulic conditions allowed for validation of the methodology and its proposed use for application on analogous aquifers. With the aim of long-term management of this strategic aquifer, the model was then used to evaluate the impact of climate change on the groundwater resource. The simulations performed according to the most pessimistic climatic scenario until 2050 show a low sensitivity of the aquifer. The decreasing trend of the natural discharge is estimated at about −360 m³ y⁻¹ for recharge decreasing at about −5.6 mm y⁻¹ (0.8 % of annual recharge).