First Steps into an Integrated Karst Aquifer Vulnerability Approach (IKAV). Intrinsic Groundwater Vulnerability Analysis of the Yucatan Karst, Mexico

Abstract

Karst groundwater vulnerability maps are important tools for the development of groundwater management and protection strategies. However, current methodologies do not always match regional characteristics and parameter adaptations are necessary. In addition, other important processes such as dilution and aquifer residence time are not included in vulnerability analysis for the complications of evaluating two or more criteria simultaneously. The integrated karst aquifer vulnerability approach (IKAV) project aims to develop an integrated approach to include these parameters and estimate global change implications in current and future scenarios. As a first step, intrinsic vulnerability methodologies are studied in order to highlight important parameters and the congruence with regional characteristics of the Yucatan karst. Results demonstrate agreement between methods for the evaluation of high and very high vulnerabilities and their relation with fissures and dolines. Moderate vulnerabilities are assigned to more than 50% of the area. However, moderate vulnerabilities, assigned to the coastal area and the Southern hill, are highly questionable. Intrinsic features affecting moderate classes vary according to the method. Parameter sensitivity analysis and overlap analysis demonstrate the influence of depth to the unsaturated zone, soils, precipitation, and slope on moderate values. Therefore, such parameters must be re-evaluated and discretized according to the characteristics of the study area to match Yucatan regional characteristics.

First Steps to understanding Intrinsic Vulnerability to Contamination of Karst Aquifers in Various South American and Caribbean Countries

“…However, current methodologies created by the COST Action 620 approach do not always apply well to regional characteristics and parameter adaption are necessary (Moreno Gómez et al, 2018). Studies conducted by various authors (Souza, 2020;Valcarce et al, 2020;Moreno Gómez et al, 2019;Gainza et al, 2019;Moreno Gómez et al, 2018;Aguilar et al, 2016) in South American and Caribbean countries demonstrate the need to adapt methodologies that are based on European conditions.…”

Uloga nagiba padina, gustoće vrtača i analize vodne bilance u izdvajanju kompleksnog slivnog područja rijeke Slunjčice (Hrvatska)

“…Doline density is variable and commonly used in models to assess aquifer vulnerability (Crawford and Veni, 1986;Ray et al, 1993;Doerfliger et al, 1999;Kochanov and Reese, 2003;Arthur et al, 2007;Biondić et al, 2021). It has been shown that high dolines density areas and strong fissuring corresponds to the areas with high and very high aquifer vulnerability (Moreno-Gómez et al, 2019).…”

Karst Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment (KAVA) Method—A Novel GIS-Based Method for Deep Karst Aquifers

“…That methods were applied in several catchments worldwide and, because of the specific characteristics of some karst areas, some of the methods could be applied without modification of the parameters [28,29]; whilst others had to have some parameters modified [30][31][32][33][34]. For some areas, a comparative analysis of the use of several of the most common methods of intrinsic vulnerability mapping has been conducted [35,36].…”