Definition of catchment area in karst: case of the rivers Krčić and Krka, Croatia

• Published in: Hydrological sciences journal Vol. 51; no. 4; pp. 682 - 699
• Main Authors: BONACCI, OGNJEN, JUKIĆ, DAMIR, LJUBENKOV, IGOR
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wallingford Taylor & Francis Group 01.08.2006; IAHS Press
• Subjects: aire de bassin versant; catchment area; Croatia; Croatie; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; effective rainfall; Exact sciences and technology; groundwater recharge; Hydrogeology; hydrologie karstique; Hydrology; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; karst hydrology; karst spring; pluie efficace; recharge hydrogéologique; source karstique; Alps; Southern Europe; Dinaric Alps; Croatia; Croatia, Splitsko-Dalmatinska, Cetina R; rivers; rainfall; springs; Europe; mathematical models; regression analysis; ground water; ground-water recharge; karst; drainage basins; discharge; humidity; soils
• ISSN: 0262-6667; 2150-3435
• DOI: 10.1623/hysj.51.4.682

The study area consists of the spring zones of the Krčić, Krka and Cetina river catchments located in the Dinaric karst, Croatia. Classical hydrological approaches and some newer time and frequency domain methods are used in order to validate the existing hypotheses both qualitatively and quantitatively, and these contribute to factual information about the hydrological behaviour of the catchments. The groundwater recharge rates are calculated by a mathematical model based on Palmer's soil-moisture balance method. The values of parameters of the groundwater recharge model are estimated by the spectral method. The calculated monthly and annual groundwater recharge rates form the basis for estimating the hydrological catchment areas of the spring zones and also for the determina-tion of quantitative relationships between the catchments.