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Investigation of drainage structures in the karst aquifer system through turbidity anomaly, hydrological, geochemical and stable isotope analysis (Kiyan springs, western Iran)

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Abstract

Karst aquifers typically have desirable physicochemical properties and can provide an important source of groundwater for drinking. Kiyan karst springs, located in the geological region of the Zagros (western Iran), consist of two springs (Keder and Zolal) situated 3 m apart. The water of Zolal spring is always clear, with no turbidity during rainfall or earthquake phenomena, but Keder spring, which also provides drinking water to a city of 10,000 inhabitants (Kiyan city), has very high turbidity in these conditions. This situation disrupts the drinking water supply for about 1 month per year in the study area. The interpretation of discharge time series diagrams, precipitation, and turbidity in different rainfall and earthquake conditions, composite diagrams, and stable isotope concentrations show this study area to be a well-developed karst environment with a highly eroded tectonic zone and large karst conduits along with turbulent water flow. In general, the difference in the behavior of the two springs is related to different paths of water movement through the drainage area. The two springs share the same source of recharge from rainfall and the same initial underground drainage path from the largest sinkhole in the region; although the path of water movement is divided into two branches, with Zolal spring water entering a narrower fault channel. In the Zolal spring pathway, a siphon-shaped reservoir is formed where muddy rainwater settles, so that the water from this spring is clear but has higher concentrations of some ions analyzed here than Keder spring water.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Tarbiat Modares University and the Water Organization of Nahavand (Iran) as a part of the requirements for the PhD thesis defended by Vahed Kiyani. We would also like to thank Mr Jahan Bahiraiy for pictures of springs after the 2017 earthquake and K. Shashok (Author AID in the Eastern Mediterranean) for improving the use of English in the manuscript.

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The authors have not disclosed any funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Natural Resource and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    Vahed Kiyani & Abbas Esmaili

  2. Department of Earth Science, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

    Farshad Alijani

  3. Department of Water Resources Study and Research, Water Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

    Saeideh Samani

  4. Centre for Karst Hydrogeology, Faculty of Mining and Geology, Belgrade University, Belgrade, Serbia

    Ljiljana Vasić

Authors
  1. Vahed Kiyani
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  2. Abbas Esmaili
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  5. Ljiljana Vasić
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Correspondence to Abbas Esmaili.

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Kiyani, V., Esmaili, A., Alijani, F. et al. Investigation of drainage structures in the karst aquifer system through turbidity anomaly, hydrological, geochemical and stable isotope analysis (Kiyan springs, western Iran). Environ Earth Sci 81, 517 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10627-y

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