Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Investigation of the potential surface–groundwater relationship using automated base-flow separation techniques and recession curve analysis in Al Zerba region of Aleppo, Syria

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The management of water resources requires an adequate understanding of the relationship between the various components of the hydrological cycle. The accelerated urbanization and agricultural development impose the concern about the sustainability of water resources, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. In such environments, water scarcity and drought often lead to intensive groundwater abstraction which can adversely affect the hydrological system. Severe over-exploitation of groundwater has been observed on the Aleppo basin of the Al Qweek River. The Al Qweek valley constitutes the central part of the study area (southwestern parts of the Aleppo basin). The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual precipitation of 325 mm. The intensive exploitation of the upper aquifer in the catchment is responsible for a continuous decline of the piezometric levels with an average of 1.8 m/year. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the upper aquifer and the Al Qweek River within the catchment boundary using streamflow and hydrograph separation techniques by means of daily discharge data for both the Al Qweek and Al Qwaak rivers. HydroOffice was used for the base-flow separation, flow duration curves (FDC), and recession curve displacement analysis. Furthermore, groundwater recharge was estimated by means of RECESS and RORA. This is the first study using the hydrograph separation method in this region to our knowledge. The results indicate a proportional relationship between the surface and groundwater with an average discharge fluctuation that ranged from 0.30 to 0.20 m for the Al Qweek and Al Qwaak rivers, respectively. The results also revealed a dominant base flow in the catchment that ranged from 86.3 to 88.2 % of the total flow with a computed base-flow index that varied from 0.85 to 0.90 in all gauge stations, indicating a stable flow regime in the region. Furthermore, the high base flow is resulting in high permeability conditions of the upper aquifer and low direct surface runoff. The visual interpretation of the FDC suggests sustained base flow from groundwater storage. The low-flow index indicates an average contribution of groundwater storage of 45 to 58 %. The result of recession curve analysis shows a recession constant from 0.8 to 0.9 indicating a dominant interflow and low overland runoff. Furthermore, the results also show that estimation of groundwater recharge using RORA is inappropriate for the region of interest.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abo R, Merkel B (2015) Comparative estimation of the potential groundwater recharge in Al Zerba catchment of Aleppo basin, Syria. Arab J Geosci 8(3):1339–1360. doi:10.1007/s12517-013-1222-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ACSAD (1985) Soil map of Arab countries, soil map of Syria & Lebanon 1:1000.000. The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), Damascus

    Google Scholar 

  • Aksoy H, Wittenberg H (2011) Nonlinear base-flow recession analysis in watersheds with intermittent streamflow. Hydrol Sci J J Sci Hydrol 56(2):226–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Charideh A (2012) Geochemical and isotopic characterization of groundwater from shallow and deep limestone aquifers system of Aleppo basin (north Syria). Environ Earth Sci 65(4):1157–1168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alley WM, Reilly TE, Franke OL (1999) Sustainability of ground-water resources. US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey Circular 1186, Colorado

    Google Scholar 

  • Appleby FV (1970) Recession and the base-flow problem. Water Resour Res 6(5):1398–1403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnold JG, Allen PM (1999) Automated methods for estimating base-flow and ground water recharge from streamflow records. JAWRA J Am Water Resour Assoc 35(2):411–424. doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.1999.tb03599.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnold JG, Allen PM, Muttiah R, Bernhardt G (1995) Automated base flow separation and recession analysis techniques. Groundwater 33(6):1010–1018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asfahani J, Radwan Y (2007) Tectonic evolution and hydrogeological characteristics of the Khanaser valley, northern Syria, derived from the interpretation of vertical electrical soundings. Pure Appl Geophys 164(11):2291–2311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BGR, MOI (2004) Initial assessment study of water sector management in the Syrian Arab Republic. Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural. Resources & Syrian Ministry of Irrigation, Damascus

    Google Scholar 

  • Boussinesq (1877) Essai sur la theories des eaux courantes. Memoires presentes par divers savants a l‘Academic des Sciences de l‘Institut National de France Tome XXIII, No 1

  • Boussinesq J (1904) Recherches théoriques sur l’écoulement des nappes d’eau infiltrées dans le sol et sur le débit des sources. J Math Pures Appl:5-78

  • Brew G, Barazangi M, Al-Maleh AK, Sawaf T (2001) Tectonic and geologic evolution of Syria. Geoarabia-Manama 6:573–616

    Google Scholar 

  • Brodie R, Hostetler S (2005) A review of techniques for analysing base-flow from stream hydrographs. In: Proceedings of the NZHS-IAH-NZSSS 2005 Conference

  • Calver A (2001) Riverbed permeabilities: information from pooled data. Ground Water 39(4):546–553

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CBS (2011) Statistical abstract 2011, Chapter 4: agriculture. The Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics, Damascus

    Google Scholar 

  • Charlton R (2007) Fundamentals of fluvial geomorphology, vol 32. Routledge, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2008) AQUSTAT Report of the Syrian Arab Republic (water report 34). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeze RA, Cherry JA (1979) Groundwater, 1979. Prentice Hall, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • GCHS (1999) Updating study of Aleppo basin within Syrian territories (tables of water exploitation for different uses). General Company of Hydraulic Studies (GCHS), Homs, Syria

    Google Scholar 

  • Gee GW, Hillel D (1988) Groundwater recharge in arid regions: review and critique of estimation methods. Hydrol Process 2(3):255–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregor M (2010) User manual for BFI+ 3.0. http://www.hydrooffice.org/Downloads/List.aspx?section=Manuals

  • Gregor M, Malík P (2012) Construction of master recession curve using genetic algorithms. J Hydrol Hydromech 60(1):3–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Gruzgiprovodkhoz (1982) Hydrogeological and hydrological surveys and investigations in four areas of the Syrian Arab Republic. Georgian State Institute for Design of Water Resources, Tbilisi

    Google Scholar 

  • Halford KJ, Mayer GC (2000) Problems associated with estimating ground water discharge and recharge from stream-discharge records. Ground Water 38(3):331–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall FR (1968) Base‐flow recessions—a review. Water Resour Res 4(5):973–983

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamdy A, Abu-Zeid M, Lacirignola C (1995) Water crisis in the Mediterranean: agricultural water demand management. Water Int 20(4):176–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Healy RW, Scanlon BR (2010) Estimating groundwater recharge (vol 237). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • JICA (1997) The study on water resource development in the northwestern and central basin in the Syrian Arab Republic (phase 1). Sanyu Consultants Inc, Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  • Linsley RK, Kohler MA, Paulhus JL (1982) Hydrology for engineers, 3rd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Luijendijk E (2003) Groundwater resources of the Aleppo basin, Syria. MSc Thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  • Luijendijk E, Bruggeman A (2008) Groundwater resources in the Jabal Al Hass region, northwest Syria: an assessment of past use and future potential. Hydrogeol J 16(3):511–530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyne V, Hollick M (1979) Stochastic time-variable rainfall-runoff modelling. In: Institute of Engineers Australia National Conference, pp 89-92

  • Martin (1999) Water availability and water use in Syria. Report for the World Bank, Washington, DC

  • Nachtergaele F, Batjes N (2012) Harmonized world soil database (ver 1.2). FAO and IIASA, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Nathan R, McMahon T (1990) Evaluation of automated techniques for base flow and recession analyses. Water Resour Res 26(7):1465–1473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelms DL, Harlow GE, Hayes DC (1997) Base-flow characteristics of streams in the Valley and Ridge, Blue Ridge, and Piedmont Physiographic Provinces of Virginia (paper 2457). US geological survey, Denver

    Google Scholar 

  • Petts G, Amoros C (1996) The fluvial hydrosystem. Chapman and Hall, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ponikarov VP (1964) Geological map of Syria, scale 1:200,000. Technoexport, Moscow

    Google Scholar 

  • Qian K, Wan L, Wang X, Lv J, Liang S (2012) Periodical characteristics of base-flow in the source region of the Yangtze River. J Arid Land 4(2):113–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rantz S (1982) Measurement and computation of streamflow. U S Geol Surv Water Supply Pap 2175:631

    Google Scholar 

  • Rorabaugh M (1964) Estimating changes in bank storage and ground-water contribution to streamflow. Int Assoc Sci Hydrol 63:432–441

    Google Scholar 

  • Rouhani H, Malekian A (2013) Automated methods for estimating base-flow from streamflow records in a semi arid watershed. Desert 17(2):203–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutledge AT (1998) Computer programs for describing the recession of ground-water discharge and for estimating mean ground-water recharge and discharge from streamflow records: update. US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey water resource, Rep 98-4148

  • Rutledge AT (2007) Update on the use of the RORA program for recharge estimation. Groundwater 45(3):374–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan J, Masri S (1997) Soils of ICARDA’s agricultural experimental stations and sites: climate, classification, physical and chemical properties, and land use. ICARDA, Aleppo

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato T (2010) Sustainable management of saline waters and salt-affected soils for agriculture: proceedings of the Second Bridging Workshop Nov 2009. In. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Aleppo, Syria pp 73-78

  • Scanlon BR, Healy RW, Cook PG (2002) Choosing appropriate techniques for quantifying groundwater recharge. Hydrogeol J 10(1):18–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schälchli U (1992) The clogging of coarse gravel riverbeds by fine sediment. Hydrobiologia 235–236(1):189–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Searcy JK (1959) Flow-duration curves. US Geological survey water supply paper 1542-A. U.S. Geological survey Washington, DC

  • Seiler KP, Gat JR (2007) Groundwater recharge from run-off, infiltration and percolation (vol 55). Water Science and Technology Library. Springer Dordrecht, Netherlands

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Selkhozpromexport (1979) Hydrogeological and hydrological survey and investigation in four areas of Syrian Arab Republic (vol 2). Tiflis, Georgia

  • Simmers I (1988) Estimation of natural groundwater recharge (vol 222). Springer

  • Sloto RA, Crouse MY (1996) HYSEP, a computer program for streamflow hydrograph separation and analysis. US Geological survey water supply. U.S. Geological survey, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Smakhtin V (2001) Low flow hydrology: a review. J Hydrol 240(3):147–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stadler S, Geyh M, Ploethner D, Koeniger P (2012) The deep Cretaceous aquifer in the Aleppo and Steppe basins of Syria: assessment of the meteoric origin and geographic source of the groundwater. Hydrogeol J 20(6):1007–1026

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Starkel L (1995) Changes of river channels in Europe during the Holocene. Changing river channels. Wiley, Chichester, pp 27–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Tallaksen LM (1995) A review of base-flow recession analysis. J Hydrol 165(1):349–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tallaksen LM, Van Lanen HA (2004) Hydrological drought: processes and estimation methods for streamflow and groundwater (vol 48). Elsevier B.V, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Tucci P, Hileman GE (1992) Potential effects of dredging the South Fork Obion River on ground-water levels near Sidonia, Weakley County, Tennessee. US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey, Water-Resources Investigations Report 90-4041., Nashville, Tennessee

  • UNEP (1997) World atlas of desertification. Edward Arnold, London

    Google Scholar 

  • UN-ESCWA (1997) Report on mission to Syrian Arab Republic (during the period 10-20 Jun 1997). Hydrogeologic advice to ICARDA on sustainable agricultural groundwater managment in dry areas. Beirut

  • Wagner W (1997) Report on mission to the Syrian Arab Republic: hydrogeologic advice to ICARDA on sustainable agricultural groundwater management in dry areas. ESCWA, Amman

    Google Scholar 

  • Welderufael W, Woyessa Y (2010) Stream flow analysis and comparison of base flow separation methods: case study of the Modder River basin in Central South Africa. Eur Water 31:3–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Winter TC (1999) Ground water and surface water: a single resource (vol 1139). DIANE Publishing

  • Wolfart R (1966) Zur Geologie und Hydrogeologie von Syrien: unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der süd-und nordwestlichen Landesteile [On the geology and hydrogeology of Syria, with special reference to the southern and northwestern regions of the country]. Bundesanstalt f. Bodenforschung, Hanover

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu Y, Beekman HE (2003) Groundwater recharge estimation in Southern Africa. UNESCO, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Zucker MB, Remson I, Janet E, Aguado E (1973) Hydrologic studies using the Boussinesq equation with recharge term. Water Resour Res 9(3):586–592

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Adriana Bruggeman for the helpful suggestions. Special thanks are due to Dr. Milos Gregor for his technical assistance and the Syrian Ministry of Water Resource for providing us with required data. The authors thank the hydrogeology staff in the Department of Geology at the TU Freiberg for their appreciated support. We give thanks to two anonymous reviewers for their suggestions to improve the paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrogeology, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, Germany

    Rudy K. Abo & Broder J. Merkel

Authors
  1. Rudy K. Abo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Broder J. Merkel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rudy K. Abo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Abo, R.K., Merkel, B.J. Investigation of the potential surface–groundwater relationship using automated base-flow separation techniques and recession curve analysis in Al Zerba region of Aleppo, Syria. Arab J Geosci 8, 10543–10563 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-015-1965-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-015-1965-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation