title: Comparison of Recharge Estimation Methods During a Wet Period in a Karst Aquifer.
abstract: Management of water resources, implying their appropriate protection, calls for a sound evaluation of recharge. Such assessment is very complex in karst aquifers. Most methods are developed for application to detrital aquifers, without taking into account the extraordinary heterogeneity of porosity and permeability of karst systems. It is commonly recommended to estimate recharge using multiple methods; however, differences inherent to the diverse methods make it difficult to clarify the accuracy of each result. In this study, recharge was estimated in a karst aquifer working in a natural regime, in a Mediterranean-type climate, in the western part of the Sierra de las Nieves (southern Spain). Mediterranean climate regions are characterized by high inter-annual rainfall variability featuring long dry periods and short intense wet periods, the latter constituting the most important contribution to aquifer water input. This paper aims to identify the methods that provide the most plausible range of recharge rate during wet periods. Six methods were tested: the classical method of Thornthwaite-Mather, the Visual Balan code, the chloride balance method, and spatially distributed methods such as APLIS, a novel spatiotemporal estimation of recharge, and ZOODRM. The results help determine valid methods for application in the rest of the unit of study and in similar karst aquifers.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guardiola-Albert
authors.affiliation: Spanish Geological Survey, Urb. Alcázar del Genil 4, ed. Zulema bajo s/n, 18006 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martos-Rosillo
authors.affiliation: Spanish Geological Survey, C/ Ríos Rosas 23, 28003 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eulogio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pardo-Igúzquiza
authors.affiliation: Spanish Geological Survey, C/ Ríos Rosas 23, 28003 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Durán Valsero
authors.affiliation: Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (UGR-CSIC), Avenida de las Palmeras 4, 18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedrera
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Geología y Centro de Hidrogeología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n, 29071 Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Gavilán
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Geología y Centro de Hidrogeología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n, 29071 Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liñán Baena
mesh_terms: D060587:Groundwater; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D016062:Porosity; D011891:Rain; D013030:Spain; D014872:Water Movements