Rights statement: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Chen X, Zhang Z, Soulsby C, et al. Characterizing the heterogeneity of karst critical zone and its hydrological function: An integrated approach. Hydrological Processes. 2018;32:2932–2946. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13232 which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.13232/abstract This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
Accepted author manuscript, 2.45 MB, PDF document
Available under license: CC BY-NC: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterizing the heterogeneity of karst critical zone and its hydrological function
T2 - an integrated approach
AU - Chen, Xi
AU - Zhang, Zhicai
AU - Soulsby, Chris
AU - Cheng, Qinbo
AU - Binley, Andrew Mark
AU - Jiang, Rui
AU - Tao, Min
N1 - This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Chen X, Zhang Z, Soulsby C, et al. Characterizing the heterogeneity of karst critical zone and its hydrological function: An integrated approach. Hydrological Processes. 2018;32:2932–2946. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13232 which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.13232/abstract This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
PY - 2018/9/15
Y1 - 2018/9/15
N2 - Spatial heterogeneity in the subsurface of karst environments is high, as evidenced by the multi‐phase porosity of carbonate rocks and complex landform features that result in marked variability of hydrological processes in space and time. This includes complex exchange of various flows (e.g. fast conduit flows and slow fracture flows) in different locations. Here, we integrate various “state‐of‐the‐art” methods to understand the structure and function of this poorly‐constrained critical zone environment. Geophysical, hydrometric and tracer tools are used to characterize the hydrological functions of the cockpit karst critical zone in the small catchment of Chenqi, Guizhou province, China. Geophysical surveys, using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), inferred the spatial heterogeneity of permeability in the epikarst and underlying aquifer. Water tables in depression wells in valley bottom areas, as well as discharge from springs on steeper hillslopes and at the catchment outlet, showed different hydrodynamic responses to storm event rainwater recharge and hillslope flows. Tracer studies using water temperatures and stable water isotopes (δD and δ18O) could be used alongside insights into aquifer permeability from ERT surveys to explain site‐ and depth‐dependent variability in the groundwater response in terms of the degree to which “new” water from storm rainfall recharges and mixes with “old” pre‐event water in karst aquifers. This integrated approach reveals spatial structure in the karst critical zone and provides a conceptual framework of hydrological functions across spatial and temporal scales.
AB - Spatial heterogeneity in the subsurface of karst environments is high, as evidenced by the multi‐phase porosity of carbonate rocks and complex landform features that result in marked variability of hydrological processes in space and time. This includes complex exchange of various flows (e.g. fast conduit flows and slow fracture flows) in different locations. Here, we integrate various “state‐of‐the‐art” methods to understand the structure and function of this poorly‐constrained critical zone environment. Geophysical, hydrometric and tracer tools are used to characterize the hydrological functions of the cockpit karst critical zone in the small catchment of Chenqi, Guizhou province, China. Geophysical surveys, using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), inferred the spatial heterogeneity of permeability in the epikarst and underlying aquifer. Water tables in depression wells in valley bottom areas, as well as discharge from springs on steeper hillslopes and at the catchment outlet, showed different hydrodynamic responses to storm event rainwater recharge and hillslope flows. Tracer studies using water temperatures and stable water isotopes (δD and δ18O) could be used alongside insights into aquifer permeability from ERT surveys to explain site‐ and depth‐dependent variability in the groundwater response in terms of the degree to which “new” water from storm rainfall recharges and mixes with “old” pre‐event water in karst aquifers. This integrated approach reveals spatial structure in the karst critical zone and provides a conceptual framework of hydrological functions across spatial and temporal scales.
U2 - 10.1002/hyp.13232
DO - 10.1002/hyp.13232
M3 - Journal article
VL - 32
SP - 2932
EP - 2946
JO - Hydrological Processes
JF - Hydrological Processes
SN - 0885-6087
IS - 19
ER -