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Identifying structure and function of karst aquifer system using multiple field methods in karst trough valley area, South China

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Abstract

The Xiangxi River basin, South China is a steep terrain that hosts an extensive karst aquifer system with rapid subsurface runoff. The karst networks are best developed in Cambrian carbonates along the NNW and NNE directions, congruent with the predominant orientations of fissures, the permeability tensor, surface features, and flow channels. Tracer tests define a fast subsurface flow component with a maximum velocity of 240–1055 m/h that discharges to multiple outlets at high water levels, and a slow flow component with a velocity of 15 m/h at low water levels. A theoretical response model defined the response times of four karst springs as being only 5 and 8 h for hydrographs and conductivity curves, respectively. Also, a mean recession coefficient of 0.032 1/h for the fast flow component was determined by spring recession analysis. A conceptual structural model of the karst aquifer system explains the multiple flow outlets at high groundwater levels and the extensive development of highly connected karst conduits in Upper Cambrian strata.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financed by China Geological Survey (12120113103800) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41301548). We thank Prof. Robert E. Criss and Anne M. Hofmeister for extensively editing our manuscript. We appreciate the suggestions and comments of the anonymous reviewers, which have greatly improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 388 Lumo Road, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, China

    Mingming Luo, Zhihua Chen, Hamza Jakada & Liang Zhang

  2. Geological Survey of China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, China

    Hong Zhou & Zhaofeng Han

  3. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA

    Mingming Luo

  4. Three Gorges Research for geo-hazard, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, China

    Tingting Shi

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  1. Mingming Luo
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Correspondence to Zhihua Chen.

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Luo, M., Chen, Z., Zhou, H. et al. Identifying structure and function of karst aquifer system using multiple field methods in karst trough valley area, South China. Environ Earth Sci 75, 824 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5630-5

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