<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Monitoring temporal variations of 18O and 2H isotopes in precipitation, groundwater and surface water was performed in the region of Kakheti (East Georgia). Data were collected from three meteorological stations at altitudes between 400 - 1,100 m a.s.l., from two shallow and one deep hydrogeological boreholes, and from two surface water monitoring stations (Alazani River and Patmasuri karstic stream). 18O values in precipitation show an annual variation between -22 ‰ and +1 ‰ and a distinct altitude effect. A clear correlation exists between the seasonal isotope composition of precipitation, shallow groundwater and surface water. A five-fold amplitude dampening and a delay of 10-15 days was observed. The data show that precipitation in the Caucasus Mountains to the North infiltrates into the Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous karstic aquifer and travels to the Alazani valley towards south-east. The isotopic signature of winter precipitation is reflected in stream water as well as in shallow groundwater isotope data of groundwater in a 2,000-m-deep hydrogeological borehole at Heretiskari show a distinctly different character with δ18O ranging between -2.8 ‰ to -2.2 ‰ and a deuterium excess of -25 ‰.</abstract>

Monitoring temporal variations of 18O and 2H isotopes in precipitation, groundwater and surface water was performed in the region of Kakheti (East Georgia). Data were collected from three meteorological stations at altitudes between 400 - 1,100 m a.s.l., from two shallow and one deep hydrogeological boreholes, and from two surface water monitoring stations (Alazani River and Patmasuri karstic stream). 18O values in precipitation show an annual variation between -22 ‰ and +1 ‰ and a distinct altitude effect. A clear correlation exists between the seasonal isotope composition of precipitation, shallow groundwater and surface water. A five-fold amplitude dampening and a delay of 10-15 days was observed. The data show that precipitation in the Caucasus Mountains to the North infiltrates into the Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous karstic aquifer and travels to the Alazani valley towards south-east. The isotopic signature of winter precipitation is reflected in stream water as well as in shallow groundwater isotope data of groundwater in a 2,000-m-deep hydrogeological borehole at Heretiskari show a distinctly different character with δ18O ranging between -2.8 ‰ to -2.2 ‰ and a deuterium excess of -25 ‰.

Recharge and dynamics of a karst groundwater system in Kakheti (Eastern Georgia)

Research Center of Hydrogeophysics and Geothermy, M. Nodia Institute of Geophysics

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

Department of Hydrogeology and Geothermal Energy

Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Recharge and dynamics of a karst groundwater system in Kakheti (Eastern Georgia)"}

Monitoring temporal variations of 18O and 2H isotopes in precipitation, groundwater and surface water was performed in the region of Kakheti (East Georgia)....

Recharge and dynamics of a karst groundwater system in Kakheti (Eastern Georgia)

Published Online: Jul 19, 2019

Page range: 42 - 49

Received: May 22, 2018

Accepted: Dec 28, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17738/ajes.2019.0003

Keywords
groundwater, karst, isotopes, Kakheti region, Georgia

© 2019 Sopio Vepkhvadze et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Recharge and dynamics of a karst groundwater system in Kakheti (Eastern Georgia)

Published Online: Jul 19, 2019

Page range: 42 - 49

Received: May 22, 2018

Accepted: Dec 28, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17738/ajes.2019.0003

Keywordsgroundwater, karst, isotopes, Kakheti region, Georgia

© 2019 Sopio Vepkhvadze et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
groundwater, karst, isotopes, Kakheti region, Georgia