Critical Zone Hydrology Group

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Sustainable use of groundwater and aquifer systems

Until recently, aquifers were mainly considered as subsurface reservoirs from which naturally recharged groundwater can be abstracted for human use. With growing pressure on water resources, the role of aquifers has rapidly expanded and their reservoir capacity is now increasingly being used for: (i) storage of artificially recharged surface water for subsequent recovery while benefitting from self-purification processes active within the aquifer; (ii) storage and recovery of heat or cold; and (iii) long-term or permanent storage of waste water/fluids such as CO2 and brine. Sustainable accommodation of these applications amongst the more conventional aquifer usage requires comprehensive knowledge of the recharge-, subsurface flow-, and reactive transport processes involved including groundwater-surface water interactions. The Group's research programme on sustainable aquifer use and water quality dynamics is comprised of the following four sub-themes: reactive and pollutant transport modelling, systems analysis of coastal aquifers, groundwater-surface water interactions, managed aquifer recharge and storage, and aquifer thermal energy and CO2 storage impacts.

research on sustainable use of groundwater and aquifer systems Reactive Transport Systems analysis of coastal aquifers Groundwater Surface water interaction Managed Aquifer Rescharge and Storage Aquifer Thermal energy and storage


Last modified: Wed Dec 30 13:27:21 CET 2015