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Thoroughly investigating the evolution of groundwater circulation and its controlling mechanism in the Aksu River Basin, where human activities are intensifying and the groundwater environment is increasingly deteriorating, is highly urgent and important for promoting the theory, development and implementation of groundwater flow systems (GFSs) and protecting groundwater resources. Based on a detailed analysis of the sediment grain size distribution, chronology, electrofacies, glacial sedimentary sequence, palaeoclimate indicators and existing groundwater age, this paper systematically reconstructs the palaeosedimentary environment of the basin-scale aquifer system in the study area and scientifically reveals the evolutionary pattern and formation mechanism of the GFS. The results showed that the later period of the late Pleistocene experienced a rapid downcutting erosional event caused by tectonic uplift, and the sedimentary environment transitioned from a dry–cold deep downcutting environment in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to a coarse-grained fast-filling fluvial facies sedimentary environment in the Last Glacial Deglaciation (LDP) as the temperature rose; then, it shifted to an environment of fine-grained stable alternating accumulation of fluvial facies and lacustrine facies that was dominated by the warm and arid conditions of the Holocene megathermal period (HMP); this process changed the previous river base level via erosion, glacier elongation or shortening and river level, thus resulting in a complex coupling relationship between the palaeosedimentary environment, palaeoclimate and basin GFS. Furthermore, the existing GFS pattern in the basin exhibits a vertically unconformable groundwater age distribution, which indicates that it is the outcome of the complex superposition of groundwater flow controlled by the palaeosedimentary environment in different periods. Therefore, neotectonic movement and climate fluctuation have jointly acted on the variation in the river level, resulting in the "seesaw" effect, thereby fundamentally controlling the strength of the driving force of groundwater and resulting in the gradual evolution of the GFS from the fully developed regional GFS pattern during the LGM to the current multihierarchy nested GFS pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater vulnerability assessments are vital for protecting valuable resources by revealing susceptibility to contamination. This study developed an enhanced index model to assess the intrinsic vulnerability of a supplied karst aquifer in Qingduo, Henan Province. The model considered the 3-D geological structure and modified indices to account for Northern China's mild karstification. Emphasizing the absolute infiltration capacity of surface contaminants, the model also integrated the groundwater sources and sinks (SS) index. The vulnerability map revealed that over 60% of the aquifers, including the Qingduo wellfield, exhibited very low to low vulnerability. Conversely, only small areas (<5%) along the Kejing (KJ) fault's southern wall were classified as highly vulnerable. These findings highlighted the significant role of groundwater flow alongside aquifer conditions. The upward groundwater flow through the Fengmenkou (FMK) faults slowed the downward infiltration of surface contaminants into the lower karst aquifer, effectively reducing vulnerabilities. Lower levels of dissolved lead (Pb) and nitrate (NO3−) in Qingduo groundwater aligned with PISSR vulnerability mapping. Sensitivity analysis assessed the results' sensitivity to index weight assignment. The inclusion of the sources and sinks (SS) index holds implications for semi-quantitatively assessing dynamic groundwater vulnerability by delineating flow patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural ecological conditions in the Shendong mining area in China are very fragile, and water resources are seriously lacking. As the production scale of the Shendong mine continues to expand, the demand for water for production and living is also increasing; however, the available surface and underground water is decreasing, and the water scarcity in the Shendong mine is becoming increasingly apparent. Obtaining water resources is a major technological challenge for green mining. The underground reservoir is a new type of underground water conservancy project, and the water shortage in China's coal mine pits is resolved by underground reservoirs, which also makes a substantial contribution to the effective utilization of water resources. How the construction of underground reservoirs affects the groundwater system in a mining area has become one of the most important factors to consider when finding sites for underground reservoirs. In this study, we took the Daliuta Coal Mine as an example. A numerical model based on the hydrogeological conditions in the mining area was developed to determine the effects on groundwater using FEFLOW software via the finite element method. The model was used to analyze the impacts of coal seam mining thickness, overlying lithology, water-storage range and the water level of the underground reservoir on the groundwater flow system in the mining area. The results indicate that the thickness of the coal seam mining and the lithology of the overlying reservoir both had a significant effect on the upper aquifer system. The water-storage range and water level of the underground reservoirs were the main influences on the lower aquifer system. The results prove that underground reservoir storage had a good effect on water retention in the groundwater system in the mining area, and was able to achieve the desired result of storing groundwater and reducing water loss. It also had a positive feedback effect on the mining area's environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An integrated groundwater–surface water model is developed in an agricultural region. • Microtopography plays a pivotal role in the determination of groundwater patterns. • Ignoring microtopography causes overestimation of groundwater response times. • The filtration of signals is impacted by the hydrologic controls of microtopography. • Microtopography is a pre-requisite for accurately quantifying non-zero exchange fluxes. Groundwater–surface water interaction is greatly affected by surface topography and agricultural activities in managed agricultural regions. Such an interaction increases the complexity of hierarchical groundwater flow systems. However, the combined effects of microtopography and agricultural activities on groundwater flow patterns remain unclear. In this study, an integrated groundwater–surface water model was used to quantify the impact of microtopographic variations on groundwater flow patterns in an agricultural region in northwest China. Numerical experiments were conducted under different scenarios representing various degrees of microtopography. The results indicated that microtopography plays a pivotal role in the transfer of signals from spatiotemporally varying surface processes to the groundwater flow. Without consideration of the microtopography, the stationary fractional Gaussian noise–type infiltration processes in the vadose zone–saturated zone interface may be incorrectly simulated as non-stationary fractional Brownian motion. Furthermore, fractal analysis reveals that the scaling exponents of the pressure head are highly sensitive within the vadose zone and local flow subsystems. Microtopography plays an important role in shaping the groundwater response time (GRT) pattern, which results in a smaller average GRT but a larger core range. Contrarily, neglecting microtopography may lead to overestimation of the water table ratio (WTR), resulting in erroneous identification of groundwater patterns as topography-controlled types. This study highlights the importance of microtopography in the formation and evolution of nested groundwater flow systems and provides guidance for groundwater–surface water interaction simulations in managed regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review and assessment of earlier studies shows that the thermal groundwater near Chongqing in the eastern Sichuan Basin of China has a unique occurrence called the 'basin-anticline outcropping' type. Its occurrence and emergence are strongly controlled by the nearly north-south trending anticlines. The basin-anticline outcropping type groundwater is similar to that of the basin type but also has the characteristics of the outcropping type because of the anticlines. The natural hot springs in the study area exist mainly in the outcropping areas of the carbonates, in the middle and the plunging ends of the anticlines where the topography was cut by rivers. They can also rise through the overlying sandstones and form up-flow springs. Geothermal wells tapping the carbonate reservoirs on the flanks of the anticlines also produce thermal groundwater. The groundwater flow can be divided into three levels: (1) shallow circulation system with groundwater of HCO3-Ca type and low TDS discharging through normal temperature springs, (2) middle circulation system with groundwater of SO4-Ca type and TDS of 2-3 g/L discharging through hot springs and (3) deep circulation system with groundwater of Cl-Na type and high TDS discharging through hot springs or wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical understanding on basin-scale groundwater flow patterns is based on Tóth’s findings of a single flow system in a unit basin (Tóth, 1962) and nested flow systems in a complex basin (Tóth, 1963), both of which were based on steady state models. Vandenberg (1980) extended Tóth (1962) by deriving a transient solution under a periodically changing water table in a unit basin and examined the flow field distortion under different dimensionless response time, τ ∗ . Following Vandenberg’s (1980) approach, we extended Tóth (1963) by deriving the transient solution under a periodically changing water table in a complex basin and examined the transient behavior of nested flow systems. Due to the effect of specific storage, the flow field is asymmetric with respect to the midline, and the trajectory of internal stagnation points constitutes a non-enclosed loop, whose width decreases when τ ∗ decreases. The distribution of the relative magnitude of hydraulic head fluctuation, Δ h ∗ , is dependent on the horizontal distance away from a divide and the depth below the land surface. In the shallow part, Δ h ∗ decreases from 1 at the divide to 0 at its neighboring valley under all τ ∗ , while in the deep part, Δ h ∗ reaches a threshold, whose value decreases when τ ∗ increases. The zones with flowing wells are also found to change periodically. As water table falls, there is a general trend of shrinkage in the area of zones with flowing wells, which has a lag to the declining water table under a large τ ∗ . Although fluxes have not been assigned in our model, the recharge/discharge flux across the top boundary can be obtained. This study is critical to understand a series of periodically changing hydrogeological phenomena in large-scale basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater flow in deep sedimentary basins results from complex evolution processes on geological timescales. Groundwater flow systems conceptualized according to topography and/or groundwater table configuration generally assume a near-equilibrium state with the modern landscape. However, the time to reach such a steady state, and more generally the timescales of groundwater flow system evolution are key considerations for large sedimentary basins. This is true in the North China Basin (NCB), which has been studied for many years due to its importance as a groundwater supply. Despite many years of study, there remain contradictions between the generally accepted conceptual model of regional flow, and environmental tracer data. We seek to reconcile these contractions by conducting simulations of groundwater flow, age and heat transport in a three dimensional model, using an alternative conceptual model, based on geological, thermal, isotope and historical data. We infer flow patterns under modern hydraulic conditions using this new model and present the theoretical maximum groundwater ages under such a flow regime. The model results show that in contrast to previously accepted conceptualizations, most groundwater is discharged in the vicinity of the break-in-slope of topography at the boundary between the piedmont and central plain. Groundwater discharge to the ocean is in contrast small, and in general there are low rates of active flow in the eastern parts of the basin below the central and coastal plain. This conceptualization is more compatible with geochemical and geothermal data than the previous model. Simulated maximum groundwater ages of ∼1 Myrs below the central and coastal plain indicate that residual groundwater may be retained in the deep parts of the basin since being recharged during the last glacial period or earlier. The groundwater flow system has therefore probably not reached a new equilibrium state with modern-day hydraulic conditions. The previous hypothesis that regional groundwater flow from the piedmont groundwater recharge zone predominantly discharges at the coastline may therefore be false. A more reliable alternative might be to conceptualize deep groundwater below the coastal plains a hydrodynamically stagnant zone, responding gradually to landscape and hydrological change on geologic timescales. This study brings a new and original understanding of the groundwater flow system in an important regional basin, in the context of its geometry and evolution over geological timescales. There are important implications for the sustainability of the ongoing high rates of groundwater extraction in the NCB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New strategy for evaluating groundwater resource quantity in freeze/thaw mountains. • Divide groundwater resource calculation unit (GCU) based on the flow system theory. • Divide groundwater resource calculation period (GCP) based on freeze/thaw process. • Groundwater resource quantity in different GCUs and GCPs were determined. Mountainous areas that experience seasonal freeze/thaw are distributed worldwide, and the impact of freeze/thaw processes on the groundwater cycle is substantial. For these mountainous areas, the rational division of two key parameters, namely, the groundwater resource quantity calculation unit (GCU) and groundwater resource quantity calculation period (GCP), is a prerequisite for the scientific evaluation of groundwater resource quantity. This is especially important for the Changbai Mountains in Jilin Province, China, which have a distinct geology formed by volcanic processes and have experienced soil seasonal freeze/thaw cycle, implying drastic impacts on the spatiotemporal distribution of groundwater resources. Based on the groundwater flow system theory and considering the influences of freeze/thaw cycles on the groundwater resource quantity, we propose a new strategy to deal with the division of GCUs and GCPs. Three first-level GCUs, eight second-level GCUs, and fifty third-level GCUs were delineated within the Changbai Mountains. Five GCPs were then determined, and the spatiotemporal distribution of groundwater resource quantity was calculated for the different GCUs and GCPs. The groundwater resource quantity in the five GCPs (no freezing, unstable freezing, stable freezing, unstable melting, and stable melting periods) accounted for 62.25%, 11.51%, 11.58%, 5.05%, and 9.61% of the total, respectively. The results provide a scientific basis for the exploitation of groundwater resource in different regions and periods of the study area, and the proposed method offers a new reference strategy for the evaluation of groundwater resource in similar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the groundwater resources and aquifer system of the Jilin urban area (JUA), a groundwater numerical flow model was established by using the groundwater modeling system based on data from 190 boreholes. River stages were interpolated to control the groundwater flow field. The input parameters such as hydraulic conductivity and specific yield were based on data from 260 pumping test data. The model was calibrated by trial and error, simulated results were compared to the observed head and contour maps, which were generally in good agreement, and the root mean squared error was 0.66 m. Sensitivity analysis was carried out and recharge proved to be the most sensitive factor in this model. The water budget showed that the input was 2.07× 108 m3/a, which was smaller than the output of 2.21 × 108 m3/a. A groundwater level decline and cone of depression exist in the Songhua and Aolong river valley. The JUA aquifer systems can be well and efficiently modeled by constructing a numerical model. Based on the supply and demand analysis of water resources, the established model would finally provide a scientific basis to use the groundwater resources sustainably in JUA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yinchuan plain is located in the arid climate zone of NW China. The western margin of the plain is the Helan mountain connecting a series of normal slip faults. The eastern margin of the plain connects with the Yellow River and adjacents with the Ordos platform. The south of the plain is bordered by the EN fault of the Niushou mountain. The bottom of the plain is the Carboniferous, Permian, or Ordovician rocks. Based on the analysis of groundwater hydrochemical and isotopic indicators, this study aims to identify the groundwater recharge and discharge in the Yinchuan plain, China. The hydrochemical types of the groundwater are HCO-SO in the west, HCO-Cl in the middle, and Cl-SO in the east. The hydrochemical types are HCO-SO in the south, HCO-Cl and SO-HCO in the middle. The hydrochemical types are complex in the north, mainly SO-HCO and Cl-SO. Deuterium, O, and tritium values of groundwater indicate that groundwater recharge sources include precipitation, bedrock fissure water, and irrigation return water. Groundwater discharges include evaporation, abstraction, and discharge to surface water. According to the EW isotopic profile, the groundwater flow system (GFS) in the Yinchuan plain can be divided into local flow systems (LFS) and regional flow systems (RFS). Groundwater has lower TDS and higher tritium in the southern Yellow River alluvial plain and groundwater age ranges from 6 to 25 years. The range of groundwater renewal rates is from 11 to 15 % a. The depth of the water cycle is small, and groundwater circulates fast and has high renewal rates. Groundwater has higher TDS and lower tritium in the northern Yellow River alluvial plain. The range of groundwater age is from 45 to 57 years, and renewal rate is from 6 to 0.1 % a. The depth of the water cycle is larger. Groundwater circulates slowly and has low renewal rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on analysis of groundwater hydrochemical and isotopic indicators, this article aims to identify the groundwater flow systems in the Yangwu River alluvial fan, in the Xinzhou Basin, China. Groundwater δ2H and δ18O values indicate that the origin of groundwater is mainly from precipitation, with local evaporative influence. d-excess values lower than 10% in most groundwaters suggest a cold climate during recharge in the area. Major ion chemistry, including rCa/rMg and rNa/rCl ratios, show that groundwater salinization is probably dominated by water–rock interaction (e.g., silicate mineral weathering, dissolution of calcite and dolomite and cation exchange) in the Yangwu River alluvial fan, and locally by intensive evapotranspiration in the Hutuo River valley. Cl and Sr concentrations follow an increasing trend in shallow groundwater affected by evaporation, and a decreasing trend in deep groundwater. 87Sr/86Sr ratios reflect the variety of lithologies encountered during throughflow. The groundwater flow systems (GFS) of the Yangwu River alluvial fan include local and intermediate flow systems. Hydrogeochemical modeling results, simulated using PHREEQC, reveal water–rock interaction processes along different flow paths. This modeling method is more effective for characterizing flow paths in the intermediate system than in the local system. Artificial exploitation on groundwater in the alluvial fan enhances mixing between different groundwater flow systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]