Travel time based approach for the assessment of vulnerability of karst groundwater: the Transit Time Method |
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| Authors: | Karolin Brosig Tobias Geyer Ali Subah Martin Sauter |
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| Institution: | 1. Applied Geology, GZG, University of G?ttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, 37077, G?ttingen, Germany
2. Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI), Amman, Jordan
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| Abstract: | Karst aquifers represent important water resources in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, karst aquifers are characterised
by high contamination risks. This paper presents a travel time based method for the estimation of karst groundwater vulnerability.
It considers (1) physics-based lateral flow within the uppermost weathered zone (epikarst) in a limestone-dominated region
and (2) high velocities of vertical infiltration at discrete infiltration points (e.g. sinkholes) or lines (e.g. dry valleys,
faults). Consequently, the Transit Time Method honours the actual flow path within the unsaturated zone of a karst aquifer
system. A test site in Northern Jordan was chosen for the demonstration of the assessment technique, i.e. the catchment area
of the Qunayyah Spring north of the capital Amman. The results demonstrate that zones of highest vulnerability lie within
valleys and nearby main fault zones. It also reveals that regions, categorised as protected areas by other methods due to
thick unsaturated zones, contribute to a major degree to the total risk. |
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| Keywords: | Groundwater vulnerability Karst Transit Time Method |
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