Karst aquifer evolution in a changing water table environment

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Publication Date

6-1-2002

Publication Title

Water Resources Research

Volume Number

38

Issue Number

6

Abstract

A vertical cross section through a karst aquifer is modeled by means of the finite element method to study the evolution of fractures and flow in the aquifer. The karst aquifer receives a constant recharge along the top boundary by precipitation and drains toward a resurgence assumed to be the base level in a valley. Flow is allowed both in the permeable rock matrix and the fracture network, and the fractures are enlarged with time by chemical dissolution. Hence during the early evolution of the karst aquifer the conductivity increases over several orders of magnitude, and the initially high water table drops to a steady state base level niveau. As a consequence, fractures above the final water table change from phreatic to vadose flow conditions. A systematic parameter study is carried out to investigate the aquifer evolution over a wide range of parameters, such as recharge rate, initial fracture width and density, and initial calcium concentration. The numerical models cover a wide range of drainage patterns, from phreatic water table caves to deep bathyphreatic caves to vadose river caves. The models suggest that a single theoretical approach is capable of explaining most common cave passage patterns.

Document Type

Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1029/2001WR000256

Language

English

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