Due to the high vulnerability of the karst aquifer to the surface contaminants, a precisely defined catchment area has the highest priority. In this study, the influence of slope inclination, the ...doline density analysis, and the water budget analysis in the delineation process of a complex karst catchment area is discussed. To define hydrogeological role of lithological units, cross sections of slope inclination and doline density were combined with hydrogeological cross sections, while the degree of karstification was used to describe the permeability of rock units. The verification of karst catchment delineation area was performed with water budget analysis. The methodology used for the determination of hydrogeological behavior and delineation of a complex karst catchment area (Slunjčica River basin, Croatia) is shown with the flow diagram. It has been found that the highest doline density appears in the range from 0 to 1° of the slope inclinations, and that it decreases with a higher slope degree. Although the results of this study confirm that even with the relatively small number of input data it is possible to define the karst catchment area, it must be emphasized that the doline density analysis presents an indispensable tool in the research related to the definition of karst catchment areas.
Radi vrlo visoke prirodne ranjivosti krških vodonosnika, izrazito je važno precizno određivanje slivne površine. U okviru ovog istraživanja razmatran je utjecaj nagiba terena, gustoće vrtača i vodne bilance u procesu razdvajanja složenih krških slivnih područja. Za definiranje hidrogeološke uloge pojedinih litoloških jedinica korištena je kombinacija hidrogeoloških profila s podacima o gustoći vrtača i nagibu terena, dok je za opis propusnosti pojedinih stijenskih jedinica korišten stupanj okšenosti. Za verifikaciju i provjeru izdvojenih slivnih područja korištena je vodna bilanca. Metodologija korištena za utvrđivanje hidrogeološke uloge pojedinog područja i određivanje slivnog područja (rijeka Slunjčica, Hrvatska) prikazana je dijagramom toka. Utvrđeno je da se najveće vrijednosti gustoće vrtača pojavljuju u dijelovima terena s nagibom padina od 0 to 1°, te se smanjuju s povećanjem nagiba padina. Iako rezultati istraživanja potvrđuju da je čak i s malim brojem ulaznih podataka moguće odrediti slivno područje u kršu, potrebno je dodatno naglasiti da analiza gustoće vrtača predstavlja nezamjenjiv alat prilikom istraživanja vezanih za određivanje slivnih područja u kršu.
Over the last decades, the quality and quantity of the Mediterranean freshwater resources have significantly deteriorated due to climate change, unsustainable utilization, user conflicts, and ...seawater intrusions. On the small and remote island of Vis, where similar issues prevail, the need for alternative water management solutions has yielded managed aquifer recharge (MAR) as a promising option for increasing the safety and resilience of the local and autonomous water supply. By performing a cost–benefit analysis (CBA) to evaluate the feasibility of the deployment of an infiltration pond method in the Korita well field, the results evidenced a positive financial performance and sustainability of the proposed MAR solution. In addition, the overall economic benefits of the project, quantified through the willingness-to-pay method, significantly exceeded its costs, as evidenced by the high benefit/cost ratio of 2.83. The most significant uncertainty related to the infiltration pond method is represented by the high sensitivity to changes in the applied hydrological assumptions (i.e., the evaporation coefficient and number of annual infiltration pond recharges). This study aims to contribute to the understanding of interrelated socio-economic factors of MAR projects in karst aquifers, and represents the first of its kind in Croatia.
Contamination of soils with potentially toxic metals (PTMs) is an environmental problem. In this study, sorption of cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) in four soil profiles (two Fluvisols, one ...Gleysol, and one Cambisol), representing the dominant soils of the Zagreb aquifer system, were studied using a multi element laboratory batch test. Mathematical expressions were applied to establish the relationship between the concentration of the adsorbent in the liquid phase and the solid phaSe at equilibrium and in laboratory conditions. The study revealed that the investigated soils have a higher capacity to sorb Cu than Zn and Cd. The most significant physicochemical characteristics of soils, influencing sorption, are pH, carbonate content (minerals) and organic matter. Although all PTMs in all analyzed soils had a similar sorption capacity, the variation of sorption was higher in the siltic soils (Fluvisols) compared with the texturally finer (loamic) Gleysol and Cambisol soils, as well as in the subsoil horizons compared with the topsoils. Results indicate that sorption of PTMs is more influenced by physicochemical characteristics at different soil depths than by soil type, which is confirmed with a higher affinity for Zn and Cd bonding in the topsoil horizons. Also, it has been shown that Cd may pose more of a threat to soils and groundwater due to its toxicity and relatively high mobility in comparison with Zn and Cu.
This paper establishes hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical characteristics of a wider area of the regional well field Eastern Slavonia - Sikirevci. The research was conducted based on data gathered ...from the area of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia. The aquifer Velika Kopanica is situated at the territory of the Republic of Croatia in the triangular region formed between Kopanica, Gundinci and Krusevica. The River Sava partially flows through it and the aquifer extends beneath the river to the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Donji Svilaj in the West to Domaljevac in the East where its yield is the highest. The thickness of the aquifer decreases towards the water body Odzak. It was determined that the groundwater which is extracted from wells of the wider area of the regional well field contains iron, manganese, natural ammonia and arsenic in values exceeding the maximum allowable concentration for drinking water. The increased values of these parameters are a result of mineral composition and reductive conditions in the aquifer environment. By means of a multivariate statistic cluster analysis, an overview of groups of elements is provided based on geochemical affinity and/or origin.
The fully automated objective-based method for master recession curve (MRC) separation was developed by using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code. The core of the ...program code is used to construct an MRC by using the adapted matching strip method (Posavec et al. 2006). Criteria for separating the MRC into two or three segments are determined from the flow-duration curve and are represented as the probable range of percent of flow rate duration. Successive separations are performed automatically on two and three MRCs using sets of percent of flow rate duration from selected ranges and an optimal separation model scenario, having the highest average coefficient of determination R², is selected as the most appropriate one. The resulting separated master recession curves are presented graphically, whereas the statistics are presented numerically, all in separate sheets. Examples of field data obtained from two springs in Istria, Croatia, are used to illustrate its application. The freely available Excel spreadsheet and VBA program ensures the ease of use and applicability for larger data sets.
A Visual Basic macro entitled BACKGROUND calculates geochemical background values of chemical parameters and estimates threshold values separating background data from anomalies. The macro uses two ...statistical methods, the iterative 2-σ technique and the calculated distribution function, and integrates these model-based objective methods into a widely accessible platform (i.e., MS Excel). The macro offers the possibility for automated processing of geochemical data and enables an automated generation of background range and threshold values for chemical parameters.
The authors investigate the sources and processes of groundwater contamination and their assessment within the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework. Naturally occurring ...substances, trace elements, radionuclides, nutrients, and salt (sodium chloride) are reviewed with emphasis on the assessment of the natural background load. Some synthetic substances are also considered, these being petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated aliphatics, pesticides and organic-waste contaminants. Newly emerging contaminants cannot be described within the DPSIR; therefore monitoring approaches and indicators of contamination are discussed in order to propose improved monitoring plans that combine physical, chemical and biological indicators and combine science with policy.
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