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Unsaturated-Zone Hydrology in Israel: A Subjective Review

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Book cover The Many Facets of Israel's Hydrogeology

Part of the book series: Springer Hydrogeology ((SPRINGERHYDRO))

Abstract

The unsaturated zone, overlaying Israeli aquifers, is usually tens of meters thick, and it has significant water and solute storage, as well as reactive capacity. Therefore, being the passage of water recharging the aquifers, the unsaturated zone has great impact on quantity and quality of aquifer water. This review gives a historical perspective of the unsaturated-zone hydrology in Israel, and elaborates some details of studies that focused on the impacts of the unsaturated zone on groundwater. These impacts include aquifer recharge rates under different soils and land uses (crops) and recharge temporal characteristics, aquifer salinization, aquifer contamination with nitrate, contamination with organic compounds and major-ion geochemistry.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, 7505101, Rishon LeZion, Israel

    Daniel Kurtzman

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  1. Daniel Kurtzman
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Correspondence to Daniel Kurtzman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Water and Natural Resources, Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel

    Uri Kafri

  2. Water and Natural Resources, Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel

    Yoseph Yechieli

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Kurtzman, D. (2021). Unsaturated-Zone Hydrology in Israel: A Subjective Review. In: Kafri, U., Yechieli, Y. (eds) The Many Facets of Israel's Hydrogeology. Springer Hydrogeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51148-7_12

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