Temporal dynamics of water level and water sources analyses of karst tidal springs in Guilin, China

• Published in: Hydrology Research Vol. 55; no. 3; pp. 380 - 391
• Main Authors: Ma, Jie, Zhu, Shilong, Wei, Xiaomei, Guo, Yongli, Cao, Jianhua, Huang, Fen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London IWA Publishing 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Aquifers; Chemical analysis; conductance frequency distribution; diurnal variation; Drinking water; Dry season; Electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Flow velocity; Frequency distribution; Geology; Groundwater; groundwater source; Heavy rainfall; Hydrology; Karst; Onsite; Precipitation; Rainfall; Rainy season; Research methodology; River basins; Seasons; Spring (season); Springs (elastic); Water levels; Water quality; Water sources; Water springs; Wet season; United States > US; China
• ISSN: 0029-1277; 1998-9563; 2224-7955
• DOI: 10.2166/nh.2024.178

Abstract The hydrological dynamics and sources of karst tidal springs are difficult to capture and quantify due to fluctuations in their flow velocity. In this study, the Laolongshui (LLS) karst tidal spring in the Maocun underground river basin of Guilin City was taken as an example, with a 2-year continuous monitoring of the electrical conductivity, and water level, as well as water chemical analysis. The results showed the following: (1) discovered the variation pattern of LLS water level in different seasons, the water level fluctuates regularly on a daily scale, with a rise and fall time of 43.6 min after heavy rainfall in the rainy season, while in the dry season, it lasts for about 74–80 h. (2) Four peaks were extracted from the frequency distribution of electrical conductivity, representing the response of springwater under different rainfall conditions. (3) The annual average frequencies of the occurrence of P1, P2, P3, and P4 in terms of time are 53.82, 39.29, 6.18, and 0.72%, respectively. The results provide a new method for analyzing groundwater's source and dynamic changes in karst areas.