TY - JOUR
T1 - A GIS-based method for predicting groundwater discharge areas in esker aquifers in the Boreal region
AU - Eskelinen, Riku
AU - Ala-Aho, Pertti Otto Antero
AU - Rossi, Pekka M.
AU - Kløve, Bjørn
N1 - Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the 7th framework project GENESIS (226536) and Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki r.y.
PY - 2015/9
Y1 - 2015/9
N2 - In the Boreal region, anticline eskers aquifers are recharged in upland hillslopes and water discharges in the surrounding lowlands. Organic peat soils often confine the aquifer discharge area and drainage of these confining peat layers can decrease the flow resistance in the peat soil, which may cause unintentional groundwater level drawdown. This poses a risk to groundwater bodies and their good water status in the Boreal region. To increase awareness of the risk areas and to assess potential areas for drainage restoration, a model based on geographical information systems (GIS) was developed to predict the locations of high groundwater discharge. The output of the model is a map highlighting the potential areas where groundwater is more likely to discharge. The model output was validated with stream flow data collected from two eskers located in Finland. The developed GIS model is recommended as a tool to delineate groundwater protection areas where drainage of the peat soil should not be allowed and for assessing areas where such drainage networks could be restored to protect vulnerable groundwater systems.
AB - In the Boreal region, anticline eskers aquifers are recharged in upland hillslopes and water discharges in the surrounding lowlands. Organic peat soils often confine the aquifer discharge area and drainage of these confining peat layers can decrease the flow resistance in the peat soil, which may cause unintentional groundwater level drawdown. This poses a risk to groundwater bodies and their good water status in the Boreal region. To increase awareness of the risk areas and to assess potential areas for drainage restoration, a model based on geographical information systems (GIS) was developed to predict the locations of high groundwater discharge. The output of the model is a map highlighting the potential areas where groundwater is more likely to discharge. The model output was validated with stream flow data collected from two eskers located in Finland. The developed GIS model is recommended as a tool to delineate groundwater protection areas where drainage of the peat soil should not be allowed and for assessing areas where such drainage networks could be restored to protect vulnerable groundwater systems.
KW - Drainage
KW - Geographical information systems
KW - Groundwater management
KW - Groundwater vulnerability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84940459233&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12665-015-4491-7
DO - 10.1007/s12665-015-4491-7
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84940459233
VL - 74
SP - 4109
EP - 4118
JO - Environmental Earth Sciences
JF - Environmental Earth Sciences
SN - 1866-6280
IS - 5
ER -