Sanz Pérez, E.; Mosquera-Feijóo, J.C.; de Ojeda, J.S.; Rodrigo, P.R. Groundwater Hydraulics in Increased Spring Discharge following Earthquakes: Some Applications and Considerations. Water2024, 16, 520.
Sanz Pérez, E.; Mosquera-Feijóo, J.C.; de Ojeda, J.S.; Rodrigo, P.R. Groundwater Hydraulics in Increased Spring Discharge following Earthquakes: Some Applications and Considerations. Water 2024, 16, 520.
Sanz Pérez, E.; Mosquera-Feijóo, J.C.; de Ojeda, J.S.; Rodrigo, P.R. Groundwater Hydraulics in Increased Spring Discharge following Earthquakes: Some Applications and Considerations. Water2024, 16, 520.
Sanz Pérez, E.; Mosquera-Feijóo, J.C.; de Ojeda, J.S.; Rodrigo, P.R. Groundwater Hydraulics in Increased Spring Discharge following Earthquakes: Some Applications and Considerations. Water 2024, 16, 520.
Abstract
Earthquakes often entail alterations in the groundwater flow regime, in the phreatic level, in the surge and loss of springs, and discharge in brooks and springs. As for the latter, there are diverse feasible mechanisms, so there is a variety of theoretical approaches to elucidate the post-earthquake effects on spring discharge. This study adopts a conceptual approach, primarily presenting various methods for estimating water released by earthquakes by calculating discharge surpluses in springs. This study delves into refined techniques rooted in groundwater hydraulics, displaying applications of analytical and simulation methodologies to quantify seismic-induced groundwater discharge in springs. Investigating springs as natural indicators, this research applies mathematical precipitation-runoff models, specifically the CREC model, for simulating hydrographs in post-earthquake scenarios. We apply analytical procedures or mathematical simulation techniques employed in groundwater hydraulics for natural aquifer recharge calculations. Firstly, we briefly describe the methods based on the analysis of depletion curves of hydrographs in spring discharge. Additionally, certain mathematical rainfall-runoff models utilized in simulating hydrographs of karstic springs, along with derived analytical approximations, are adapted for this scenario. These hydraulic calculations involve the depletion coefficient and hydrodynamic volumes of aquifers, parameters that reveal certain aspects of the relation between groundwater and earthquakes, such as: a) Acknowledging faults as the primary geological structures in transmitting pore pressures due to earthquakes. b) Clarifying mechanisms of permeability enhancement during earthquakes. c) Highlighting the substantial volumes in motion within the Earth's interior, which, for instance, could constitute a significant source for the origin of mineral deposits. The findings highlight diverse features of the complex interplay between hydrogeological and tectonic processes at challenging spatial and temporal scales.
Keywords
Earthquakes and water; spring hydraulics; increased spring discharge; spring excess discharge estimation; earthquake-induced spring-released water
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Geology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
