Groundwater degradation is commonly understood to exacerbate societal inequities. However, its effects can be more complex, reconfiguring existing patterns of advantage and disadvantage rather than simply intensifying them. This paper applies political ecology and socio-hydrogeology to enquire how groundwater change in India’s Kaveri Delta manifests through the understandings and actions of government officials and farmers, and examine its societal implications. The research is set in a deltaic village dotted with tubewells for year-round paddy cultivation. Here, it combines aquifer mapping and monitoring conducted alongside farmers, with a spatial and qualitative analysis of landholding, water access, cropping patterns and livelihood options, in relation to caste. Aquifer monitoring uncovers recent groundwater salinisation, and the subsequent analysis reveals concomitant water dispossession, where the delta elite have accumulated the benefits of government-incentivised intensive agriculture, to the detriment of other farmers now contending with saline groundwater. However, the spatial heterogeneity of groundwater salinisation falls outside the socio-spatial patterns of caste-based inequity, as some middle caste farmers, in areas with recent groundwater salinisation, face agricultural losses and fare worse than Dalit (marginalised caste) farmers in areas retaining fresh groundwater. The analysis thus reveals 'spatialities of dispossession', where the processes and outcomes of dispossession are mediated by the spatial properties and relations associated with resource change (here spatially uneven groundwater salinisation). This can upend previous societal relations through changing geographies of resource access. Grounding groundwater socio-hydrogeologically, by attending to its dynamic materiality, spatiality and politics, the paper thus unravels its shared agency in shaping relations of inequity.
Predicting groundwater storage and transport in fluviokarst remains a challenge for researchers given the wide range of water velocities across sinking streams, fracture networks, porous rock matrix, and cave systems. This paper advances the modeling and assessment of groundwater storage in fluviokarst by including objective functions for stable isotopic ratios of water and decomposed signals. The modeling study was carried out in the mature karst region of central Kentucky, USA. Results illustrated the efficacy of fluviokarst modeling for simulating groundwater storage and transfer. Time series decomposition methods assisted with evaluating the two part, “fluvial” and “karst,” response of water flux in stage one of model evaluation. Objective functions for isotopic ratios assisted with calibrating parameters for groundwater storage and reduced overall parameter space by 55
Addressing the global water crisis compounded by climate change and population growth requires optimising artificial groundwater recharge strategies. This systematic review, analyzes 71 publications from 1965 to 2025 to compare the performance, design and implementation of drywell technology with traditional surface-based artificial groundwater recharge methods. Criteria evaluated include recharge efficiency, potential for contamination, cost-effectiveness and adaptability to hydrogeological conditions. Drywells, which are vadose zone infiltration structures, consistently outperformed surface systems with a 2.22-fold higher average recharge efficiency (83.4 vs. 37.5
In small coral islands, groundwater is often the primary source of water supply. However, their aquifers are less resilient to climate and environmental changes because groundwater storage is limited by a small island area, flat terrain, and a thin freshwater lens. In the Maldives, groundwater has been historically abstracted from hand-dug wells. However, its quality has deteriorated owing to poor wastewater management and seawater intrusion. In this study, a three-dimensional, variable-density groundwater model (SEAWAT) was employed to examine the seasonal dynamics of a freshwater lens and its response to climate change and abstraction. Model results revealed that the baseline freshwater lens exhibits strong seasonal dynamics, resulting in up to 20
Groundwater, which constitutes a significant share of the globally available freshwater, is a resource that receives little public attention because of its hidden nature. In university education, hydrogeology or groundwater hydrology is typically included in geology, environmental, or engineering courses, but often receives little emphasis. The study of hydrogeology and groundwater management is challenging because to fully understand the topic, a large variety of competencies are required, ranging from applied field and laboratory methods to quantitative analysis that involves advanced mathematical, physical, and chemical concepts. These challenges call for educational approaches that make the complex and abstract subsurface processes more accessible and transparent. This article provides an overview of recent advances in interactive educational applications based primarily on the Python programming language embedded in HTML/CSS or JavaScript. It introduces existing frameworks for developing and utilizing these applications, offering educators and students tools to enhance learning experiences in hydrogeology and groundwater management. The paper explores uses for interactive applications, including classroom settings, self-directed learning, and continuing education. Practical examples of these educational tools are presented alongside detailed instructions for their implementation, enabling educators to integrate these open-source resources into their teaching practice effectively as well as to advance the tools.
It is well known that heat recovery of high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage (HT-ATES) systems is negatively impacted by buoyancy-driven flow of the injected hot, low-density water during storage. Density differences, however, also affect pressure head conditions within the well and therefore pressure head differences with the aquifer. Thus, it was anticipated that nonuniform flow distribution across the well screen may occur even when homogeneous aquifer permeability is assumed. In this study, the extent and conditions under which nonuniform flow across HT-ATES well screens occurs, influenced by both variable density and viscosity, were evaluated using both numerical and analytical approaches. Results show that with larger density differences (injection temperatures up to 90 °C) and lower well pressure heads, flow distribution is increasingly nonuniform, with the highest flow rates across the top part of the well screen, up to multiple times the average flow rate. Nonuniformity is described analytically by the maximum depth of injection (Dinj,max) and the maximum normalized flow at the top of the aquifer (qn,max). Decreasing viscosities with higher temperatures further amplify buoyancy-induced nonuniform flow distribution, with flow rates up to 3.7 times the average. Flow distribution is shown to be asymmetrical during injection and extraction, and besides contributing to losses, the extent to which flow distribution is nonuniform, consequently also results in substantially higher maximum velocities across the borehole wall, which is a critical design parameter to prevent clogging. A literature screening of HT-ATES storage conditions in practice highlights the relevance of considering buoyancy-induced nonuniform flow distribution.
Extracting brackish groundwater using scavenger wells beneath freshwater lenses can mitigate salinization of freshwater wells. However, disturbing the fresh–saline transition zone may induce losses from limited freshwater reserves through mixing and groundwater quality changes. A field study was conducted in the Dutch coastal dunes that combines geophysical and hydrogeochemical analyses to examine disturbances from well installation, salinity dynamics during fresh and brackish groundwater extraction, and mixing and ion-exchange processes affecting extracted groundwater quality. Fresh drilling fluid introduced during well installation primarily freshened deeper, more saline groundwater. Residual drilling fluid persisted mainly in clay seals after well development, affecting geophysical measurements. Nevertheless, applying fresh drilling fluid and clay seals improved long-term representativeness of groundwater quality monitoring by limiting ion exchange and vertical mixing within the borehole. Extracting brackish groundwater in addition to freshwater nearly tripled the 4-month freshwater extractability (from 48,000 to 142,000 m3) at the pilot site, with limited losses owing to freshwater mixing in the brackish scavenger well (19,000 m3). Alternatively, when extracting brackish groundwater only, the local expansion of the freshwater lens was limited relative to the estimated losses by mixing in the brackish well. Freshwater extraction triggered salinization-induced mobilization of freshwater cations (ammonium, barium, calcium, iron, and manganese). Concurrent brackish groundwater extraction stabilized extracted freshwater quality, but instead triggered ion exchange in extracted brackish groundwater. Overall, this study identifies freshwater losses and water quality changes as key design constraints for optimizing scavenger well installation and operation, aiming to increase coastal freshwater extractability.
This study demonstrates the potential of geophysical data to support the calibration of regional groundwater flow models and complement direct hydrogeological observations. The study area corresponds to the glacial deposits of the Saint-Narcisse Moraine in eastern Mauricie, Québec (Canada). To represent the complex, heterogeneous, and anisotropic hydrogeological conditions of the aquifer system, an integrated 3D geological and groundwater flow model was developed. The geological framework was constructed using data from 94 boreholes, 5 stratigraphic cross-sections, 20 transient electromagnetic surveys, 6 electrical resistivity tomography surveys, and 6 ground-penetrating radar surveys. Groundwater flow simulations were performed using FEFLOW® software, from which initial hydraulic parameters were defined. These parameters (e.g. hydraulic conductivity) were calibrated using the FePEST module with groundwater levels derived from geophysical data. Independent piezometric measurements from 26 observation wells distributed across the study area were then used to evaluate the calibrated model. The comparison between calibrated and observed groundwater levels from piezometric data resulted in a relatively low root mean square error (RMSE) of 3.69 m, indicating good agreement with field observations. These results suggest that groundwater levels derived from geophysical surveys can provide valuable additional information for groundwater model calibration, particularly in regions where direct hydrogeological observations are sparse. Furthermore, geophysically derived groundwater levels can be used not only to validate groundwater flow models but also to calibrate and refine hydraulic parameters. This approach demonstrates the potential of integrating geophysical datasets with conventional hydrogeological data to improve parameter estimation and enhance the reliability of regional groundwater flow models.
The distribution of groundwater potential is closely related to karst landforms. This study identifies patterns in the distribution of aquifer properties for the karst region of southwest China: (1) Plateau valleys that are typically characterized by narrow valley-bottoms, steep valley sides, and deep groundwater levels. Here, groundwater exploration relies on the identification of relatively impermeable boundaries that confine aquifers laterally and vertically, where geophysical methods such as electromagnetic techniques or resistivity soundings are commonly employed to locate targets. (2) Plateau slope areas characterized by relatively gentle terrain and thick unsaturated zones. Groundwater exploration relies on the identification of low-resistivity, impermeable boundaries at depth, where geophysical methods primarily focus on depth determination techniques, often using electromagnetic methods. (3) Peak-cluster depressions are characterized by low elevation, shallow groundwater levels, large catchment areas, and relatively high-yielding aquifers. Groundwater exploration focuses on identifying well-connected, fissured karst zones. In open areas, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is highly effective; otherwise, the magnetotelluric method can be combined with ERT for joint interpretation. Karst connectivity is more developed in hilly plain areas than in peak-cluster depressions, where a three-layer karst structure is often present. The shallow layer (0–30 m) has good karst connectivity but is often filled with mud and sand, yielding limited water. The middle layer (30–100 m) features well-connected, saturated, high-yielding karst, thereby making it the primary target for well drilling. The deep layer (> 100 m) has relatively weak and isolated karst development.
The recent flooding events across the Beas River Basin, India, necessitate isotopic investigations to understand the different flow paths contributing to river runoff. The present study identifies the origins of atmospheric moisture and evaluates source contributions to the upper Beas River Basin (Manali watershed), India, using stable isotopes of water. Water samples of snowmelt, rainfall, river, and groundwater showed significant spatial and temporal variations in stable isotopes, such as oxygen-18 (δ18O) and deuterium (δ2H), along with electrical conductivity (EC) during 2024–2025. The observed altitude effect in rainfall (– 0.40‰/100 m) and snowmelt (– 0.30‰/100 m) indicates that the orographic lifting had a significant impact on precipitation within the Manali watershed. The combined analysis of deuterium-excess and the hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT) model suggests that the southwest monsoon and western disturbance are primary moisture sources for the study area. The results from the three-component mixing model indicate that snowmelt accounts for a substantial flow, contributing 75
Ensemble-based data assimilation approaches can simultaneously estimate unknown parameters and associated uncertainties and are therefore considered suitable for groundwater contamination sources (GCSs) identification. However, these approaches usually require relatively large ensemble sizes to guarantee accuracy, resulting in excessive computational load. To address this issue, an adaptive multifidelity surrogates-based iterative ensemble smoother approach was developed for GCSs identification. It establishes an adaptive multifidelity multilayer perceptron surrogate for the original model to participate in the iterative process of the iterative ensemble smoother, effectively reducing the computational load. Compared to the widely used data-driven surrogate models, multifidelity surrogate models can utilize both the accuracy of the high-fidelity models and the efficiency of low-fidelity models, and has the immediate advantages in extrapolation capability and high-dimensional applications. However, developing effective mapping between low-fidelity and high-fidelity models is the biggest obstacle to widespread application. Although Gaussian process kernel functions have previously been used to handle the correlation between the two, this approach suffers from the cubic scaling limitation. To this end, a simple and easy way to explore the relationship between the high-fidelity model and the efficiency of the low-fidelity model, making multifidelity surrogate model easier to generalize. Moreover, the surrogate is locally refined in the posterior region using a simple and practical adaptive iterative strategy. The efficiency and applicability of the developed approach are illustrated by three synthetic cases. It is shown that the developed approach can significantly reduce computational load while ensuring GCSs parameter identification accuracy.
Groundwater vulnerability assessments (GWVAs) have been conducted using diverse techniques and various parameters. Addressing groundwater vulnerability (GWV) is challenging in regions such as Tamil Nadu, in southern India, which experiences extreme climatic variability. Therefore, a three-dimensional approach is proposed here to address GWV for a changing climate. This study includes static parameters such as aquifer type, aquifer property, geography, drainage density, geological structures, lithology, soil, and slope of the region; and non-static variables such as depth to the water table, geochemistry of the groundwater, land use and land cover, rainfall, recharge, population density, and land surface temperature. This study investigates the relationship between GWV and climate change in southern India, considering non-static variables for 2011 and 2021. Thematic layers were developed for each static and non-static parameter for each of the annual periods. Furthermore, spatial maps of static and non-static variables were overlaid, with weightage assigned to each layer, and GWV maps for 2011 and 2021 were thus derived independently. These GWVA maps were spatially correlated to demarcate the changes in non-static variables. The difference between the GWVA maps of these two years provides a GWVA map due to climate change. The increase in rainfall led to a rise in water level, which predominantly resulted in a decrease in average electrical conductivity. The study finds that intensive groundwater abstraction has also resulted in localized groundwater salinization due to saline water intrusion. The study recommends developing continuous groundwater sampling networks to support science-enabled management strategies.
Sustainable groundwater management is key to building resilience to hydrological extremes but remains challenging in data-scarce transboundary river basins. In this study, a transboundary, collaborative, physically based groundwater modelling approach has been developed for the Limpopo River Basin (LRB), which is highly vulnerable to floods and droughts. Monitoring data and model results consistently suggest that prolonged wet periods and floods significantly raised groundwater levels, whereas prolonged droughts decreased them, particularly in the upstream and central regions of the basin characterized by low-storage fractured bedrock aquifers. Groundwater–surface water interactions are greater downstream, where water tables are shallower in unconsolidated superficial materials, and intensify during floods, especially in the central region. Modelling results also suggest that baseflow is less responsive to extremes than groundwater recharge across the LRB, highlighting the groundwater system’s attenuation capacity. The model was subsequently used to assess and discuss a series of co-created management scenarios focused specifically on improving groundwater storage during wet periods for use during dry periods. They included: (1) managed aquifer recharge (MAR), using (1a) injection well(s) next to large dams, (1b) rainwater and runoff harvesting (RRH) and infiltration through local wells, (1c) RRH through local ponds and (1d) small reservoirs (e.g. sand dams); (2) deforestation; (3) afforestation; and (4) increased groundwater abstraction. Scenarios suggest that strategy (1b), when widely applied across the basin, may be the most effective to reduce the risk and impact of floods, droughts, and groundwater depletion by supporting the maintenance of groundwater levels and baseflow, while reducing storm runoff.
The role of industry engagement in hydrogeology education remains undervalued, despite its potential to enhance student learning and career readiness. Integrating both industry and community partnerships can increase student engagement, deepen students understanding of hydrogeological concepts and raise awareness of career opportunities, potentially improving graduate outcomes. This study evaluates the integration of such partnerships in the “Groundwater Systems” unit at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia. The approach involved collaborating with industry partners, revising assessment and progressively expanding opportunities for student–industry engagement. Surveys were conducted to evaluate the success of this engagement and to identify barriers limiting student participation. The groundwater unit now features semester-long industry interactions, including immersion in community-linked groundwater research projects as part of major assessments. The observed benefits of this include increased interest in the subject material and enhanced understanding of hydrogeology concepts and methods. Alumni participation as industry guest speakers further demonstrates the potential for sustained partnerships to enhance graduate outcomes.
This study combines data from exploratory boreholes with seismic reflection profiles to assess the hydrogeology of aquifers in the Gareb Plain, Morocco. The interpretation of 2D and 3D geological models, obtained by correlating data from exploratory boreholes with seismic reflection profiles, has identified four aquifers, along with their geometries, substratum, and spatial distribution. Among these aquifers, two unconfined aquifers collectively cover the largest area. The Quaternary aquifer dominates in the southwest and south area of the plain and consists of silts with gravel and pebble beds. The Plio-Villafranchian aquifer, composed of lacustrine limestones and conglomerates with intercalations of marly to marly-limestone layers, is mainly distributed in the north-northeast and east. Both aquifers overlie Upper Miocene marls and are hydraulically connected. The Upper Miocene aquifer comprising calcareous marl is limited to the northeast of the plain, in the El Mouadine depression. The Upper Jurassic aquifer, comprising dolomitic limestone is located in the southwest and south of the Gareb Plain (Kerker foothills). These two aquifers overlie impermeable bedrock composed of Senonian marl and Triassic clay, respectively.
Seepage dynamics in earth dams are greatly influenced by the spatial heterogeneity of dam material, which governs hydrological state variables and affects overall dam stability. This study develops a three-dimensional (3D) framework integrating the van Genuchten model for unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and the Signorini condition to transform outflow boundaries into hydraulic-head constraints. This paradigm shift enables full volumetric flow redistribution, lateral bypassing, and anisotropic seepage patterns that cannot be captured in two-dimensional (2D) simulations. Validation against rectangular dams shows mean absolute percentage errors of 0.14–1.04
In the Nepalese and Indian Terai Arc Landscape (TAL), protected nature areas are supported by groundwater systems that have remained largely understudied. This study schematizes the lithology of the Karnali fluvial fan located in the Bardia district (Nepal) as a basis for future hydrogeological investigations. Inversion results of 2D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles at 21 locations were interpreted by comparing with the local borehole lithology and regional geophysical studies. Multiple lithological cross-sections were prepared to develop a 3D lithological model spanning the fan, and the adjacent Bardia National Park up to the Babai River in the east. Sediment resistivities found were in the range of 8–6000 Ω m. Resistivity less than 40 Ω m was identified as clay, 40–80 Ω m represented silt and fine sand, 80–400 Ω m identified as fine to coarse sand and resistivities higher than 400 Ω m were interpreted as coarse sand, gravel and boulders. A coarse sand-gravelly layer is present at the fan apex and along the foot of the Himalayas in the north that functions as a recharge area and aquifer. The central part of the fan has sandy layers which transition to fine sand and silt layers in the distal south and southeast. Clay layers locally create confining conditions, within the sand and silt dominated areas. These findings on subsurface lithology provide valuable insights for the groundwater systems which sustain ecohydrological processes relevant to the protected ecosystem and fills a critical knowledge gap on regional hydrogeology of the TAL.
Utilizing a model-testing system for karst tunnels, this study investigated the effects of cavity location and water pressure on the water pressure distribution behind the tunnel lining, surrounding rock pressure, and lining stress. Furthermore, the impact of cavity location and water pressure on the development of plastic zones in the surrounding rock of karst tunnels was determined, and the effect of the net distance between the cavity and the tunnel on structural stresses was revealed. Key findings indicate that: The presence of a cavity induces a distinctive “maple leaf” pattern in the Mises stress distribution on the tunnel lining section; When the water pressure in the karst cavity remains constant, the Mises stress at a specific monitoring point on the lining is most significantly affected when the cavity is located at the tunnel crown, with minimal impact when it is at the tunnel invert; Under water pressure, the deformation curve of the tunnel support structure exhibits a generally “concave” shape, with the indentation directed towards the cavity center. This phenomenon intensifies with increasing water pressure and higher relative cavity positions; The influence of water pressure on the lining axial force is complex, necessitating particular attention to the bearing capacity of the tunnel invert structure; The effect of hydraulic head on surrounding rock pressure follows a distinct pattern, and its analysis must account for the evolution of the rock mass structure under dynamic pore water pressure conditions.
