1. The Importance of Snow in the Hydrogeology of a High Relief Karst System: Sierra De Tendeñera, in the Pyrenees Mountain Range (Huesca, Northern Spain)
- Author
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Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Durán Valsero, Juan José [0000-0002-6965-2280], Pardo Iguzquiza, Eulogio [0000-0002-3865-8639], Morales García, Raquel [0000-0003-0807-9449], Luque Espinar, Juan Antonio [0000-0002-3808-9835], Durán Valsero, Juan José, Pardo-Igúzquiza, Eulogio, Morales García, Raquel, Luque Espinar, Juan Antonio, Durán Laforet, Sergio Raúl, Balard, David, Quiroga, Evaristo, Borràs Tallada, Jordi, Ferreres, Jaume, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Durán Valsero, Juan José [0000-0002-6965-2280], Pardo Iguzquiza, Eulogio [0000-0002-3865-8639], Morales García, Raquel [0000-0003-0807-9449], Luque Espinar, Juan Antonio [0000-0002-3808-9835], Durán Valsero, Juan José, Pardo-Igúzquiza, Eulogio, Morales García, Raquel, Luque Espinar, Juan Antonio, Durán Laforet, Sergio Raúl, Balard, David, Quiroga, Evaristo, Borràs Tallada, Jordi, and Ferreres, Jaume
- Abstract
[EN] The Sierra de Tendeñera is a mountain located in the Western Pyrenees, in the province of Huesca (Northern Spain). The maximum altitude is Pico Tendeñera, with 2845 m a.s.l., while the snow line is around 2600 m a.s.l. Both the landscape and a well-developed network of deep karst conduits are conditioned by the structural arrangement of a carbonate sequence with almost vertical strata, modeled by glacial and karst processes. The highland landscape is characterized by numerous closed depressions that connect with an extensive subvertical network of karst conduits. During the winter, the accumulation of snow in the high parts implies the filling of sinkholes and potholes by snow and ice, which can remain until the end of August, which has some hydrogeological implications. First, snow and ice at the bottom of sinkholes and at the entrance to potholes and caves act as a secondary reservoir of water in a suspended frozen aquifer. This implies that the base flow during the summer is higher than it would be in the absence of snow, and the minimum discharge is reached in October instead of the end of August. Second, the hydrochemistry of the water discharged from the springs has a very low content of dissolved chemicals and an unusually low electrical conductivity in karst aquifers.
- Published
- 2023