Groundwater-surface water interactions
Theme leader: Dr. Hans Peter Broers
The interaction between groundwater and surface waters plays an important role in soil and water resources management, for example in the exchange of diffuse pollutants between the groundwater and surface water compartments and in the provision of sufficient groundwater base flow as a constraint for aquatic and terrestrial groundwater dependent ecosystems.
VU University research focuses on the dynamics of groundwater-surface water interaction, studying water flow and transport of salts, nutrients and metals.
The research aims to enhance our understanding of the role of aquifer heterogeneity in the interaction, the distribution of fast and slow transport routes through unsaturated and saturated zones, the relative contribution of deep and shallow groundwater at the outlet in nature reserves, polders and streams and the hydrogeochemical processes at the groundwater-surface water interface.
Past and current projects emphasize the seepage processes and salinization patterns in Dutch polder areas, the transport routes and travel time distributions which determine nutrient fluxes to streams, the possible effects of climate change on these fluxes and the understanding of the interactions between environmental flows (EFlows) and ecosystems response.
Transport studies at the reach, subcatchment and catchment scale, combining monitoring, modelling and environmental tracer techniques, help to unravel the mechanisms and time scales involved.
A number of outstanding challenges remain, such as resolving the difficulties presented by disparate temporal scales at which surface and sub-surface flow and transport regimes operate, non-linearity in governing equations, data availability and upscaling from small-scale processes to catchment-scale behaviour
Projects
Adapting to drought and salinisation in the coupled groundwater-surface water system
PhD project: J. Delsman
Duration: 2010-2014
Funding: Knowledge for Climate program 'Climate proof fresh water supply'
Supervisors and collaborators:
Processes and Mechanisms of saline seepage and fresh water lenses
PhD project: P.G.B. de Louw
Duration: 2008-2013
Funding: Deltares Strategic Research Program
Supervisors and collaborators:
Optimization of field drainage and irrigation in brackish polders under climate change
PhD project: Jouke Velstra
Duration: 2010-2014
Funding: Living with Water Research Program
Supervisors and collaborators:
The Influence of gravel pit lakes on the hydrology and hydrochemistry of the surrounding aquifer
PhD project: Pauline Mollema
Duration: 2011-2015
Funding: The Italian study is partly funded by the City of Ravenna and ENI. WML supports the work in the Dutch gravel pits.
Collaborators:
Water quality aspects of groundwater-surface water interaction in relation to nutrient transport to rivers
Identifying shallow and deep groundwater flow routes towards surface water and modeling and monitoring of nutrient transport following management measures
Duration: 2007-present
Funding: Deltares and TNO Strategic Research Programs, water board Rijn en Ijssel. New proposal submitted to EU Marie Curie program.
Collaborators:
- H.P. Broers - VU University/Deltares/TNO
- J. Rozemeijer - Deltares
- Y. van der Velde - VU University
- G. de Rooij - UFZ, Germany
- F. van Geer - TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands
National scale assessment of groundwater-surface water interaction
National scale assessment of the dynamics of groundwater-surface water interaction for the Netherlands based on the Netherlands Hydrological Instrument
Duration: 2010-present
Funding: TNO Geo-Information Program
Collaborators:
- H.P. Broers - VU University/Deltares/TNO
- D. Hendriks - Deltares
- E. Simmelink - TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands
Climate change effects on groundwater surface water interaction
Climate Change scenarios predict a slowing down of a Dutch groundwater system an changes in irrigation and drainage patterns consequently leads changing loads of metals to streams
Duration: 2006-2012
Funding: EU FPVII Aquaterra
Collaborators:
- H.P. Broers - VU University/Deltares/TNO
- A. Visser - Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Livermore, USA
- M. van Vliet - Deltares/WUR
- S. Blenkinsop - Newcastle University, UK
- H. Fowler - Newcastle University, UK
- J. Kroes - Alterra
Publications
- Visser, A., J. Kroes, M. van Vliet, S. Blenkinsop and H.P. Broers (2012). Climate change impact on the hydrology and the leaching of a heavy metal contamination of a small lowland catchment. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 127:47-64.
- Eeman, S., S. E. A. T. M. van der Zee, A. Leijnse, P. G. B. de Louw, and C. Maas (2012). Response to recharge variation of thin rainwater lenses and their mixing zone with underlying saline groundwater. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences , 16, pp. 3535-3549.
- Faneca Sanchez, M., Gunnink, J. L., van Baaren, E.S., Oude Essink, G. H. P., Siemon, B., Auken, E., Elderhorst, W. and P.G.B. de Louw (2012). Modelling climate change effects on a Dutch coastal groundwater system using airborne Electro Magnetic measurements. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discuss. , 9, 6135-6184.
- Van Vliet, M.T.H., S. Blenkinsop, A. Burton, C. Harpham, H.P. Broers and H.J. Fowler (2012) A Multi-model ensemble of downscaled spatial climate change scenarios for the Dommel catchment, western Europe. Climatic Change 111:249-277. DOI 10.1007/s10584-011-0131-8.
- Winegram M. (2012). Effects of controlled drainage in an agricultural watershed on water storage and nutrient transport. MsC Thesis VU University Hydrology.
- Broers, H. P.; Rozemeijer, J.; Klein, J. (2012) A national scale monitoring network for nutrients in agriculture dominated headwaters in the Netherlands. EGU General Assembly 2012, held 22-27 April, 2012 in Vienna, Austria., p.8216.
- Rozemeijer, J.; Van der Velde, Y.; Broers, H. P.; van Geer, F. (2012). Dynamics in surface water solute concentrations and consequences for water quality monitoring. EGU General Assembly 2012, held 22-27 April, 2012 in Vienna, Austria., p.5013.
- Van Geer, F.; Rozemeijer, J.; Van der Velde, Y.; Broers, H. P. (2012).Direct measurements of the tile drain and groundwater contributions to surface water contamination: from field-scale concentration patterns in groundwater to catchment-scale dynamics in stream water nutrient concentrations. EGU General Assembly 2012, held 22-27 April, 2012 in Vienna, Austria., p.9031.
- De Louw, P.G.B., Van Der Velde, Y., T. M. Van Der Zee, S.E.A. (2011). Quantifying water and salt fluxes in a lowland polder catchment dominated by boil seepage: A probabilistic end-member mixing approach. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 15 (7), pp. 2101-2117.
- De Louw, P.G.B., S. Eeman, B. Siemon, B. R. Voortman, J. Gunnink, E. S. van Baaren, and G. H. P. Oude Essink. (2011). Shallow rainwater lenses in deltaic areas with saline seepage. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 15, pp. 3659-3678.
- Geer, F.C. van, J. Rozemeijer, Y. van der Velde, H.P. Broers and G. de Rooij (2011). Strategic monitoring to account for rapid variations in the nitrate concentration of groundwater and surface water. IAHS-AISH publication (345):194-199.
- Velstra, J. and Groen, J., 2011. Observations of salinity patterns in shallow groundwater and drainage water from agricultural land in the northern part of the Netherlands. Irrigation and Drainage, Vol 60, 51- 58.
- Delsman, J. and G.H.P. Oude Essink, Uncertainty in mixing models: a blessing in disguise? Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 14, EGU2012-13515, 2012, EGU General Assembly 2012.
- Delsman, J., Oude Essink, G., Salt load to an agricultural catchment: seepage flux times concentration, or is there more to it than that? Insights from a multi-scale tracer study, Buzios, Brazil, SWIM 17-21 June, 2012.
- Van der Velde, Y., Rozemeijer, J.C., De Rooij, G.H., Van Geer, F.C., Torfs, P.J.J.F., De Louw, P.G.B. (2011). Improving catchment discharge predictions by inferring flow route contributions from a nested-scale monitoring and model setup. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 15 (3), pp. 913-930.
- Velde Y. van der, G.H. de Rooij, J.C. Rozemeijer, F.C. van Geer and H.P. Broers (2010) The nitrate response of a lowland catchment: on the relation between stream concentration and travel time distribution dynamics. Water Resources Research (46)11: W11534.
- Rozemeijer J.C., Y. Van der Velde, R.G. McLaren, F.C. Van Geer, H.P. Broers and M.F.P. Bierkens (2010) Using field scale measurements of flow route contributions to improve integrated model representations of dynamic groundwater-surface water interactions. Water Resources Research 46(12): W11537.
- Rozemeijer J.C., Y. van der Velde, F.C. van Geer, M.F.P Bierkens and H.P. Broers (2010). Direct measurements of the tile drain and groundwater flow route contributions to surface water contamination: from field-scale concentration patterns in groundwater to catchment-scale surface water quality. Environmental Pollution 158:3571-3579.
- Rozemeijer J.C., Y. Van der Velde, F. Van Geer, G.H. de Rooij, P.J.J.F Torfs and H.P. Broers (2010) Improving load estimates of N and P in surface waters by characterizing the concentration response to rainfall events. Environmental Science and Technology 44 :6305 6312.
- De Louw, P.G.B., Oude Essink, G.H.P., Stuyfzand, P.J., van der Zee, S.E.A.T.M. (2010). Upward groundwater flow in boils as the dominant mechanism of salinization in deep polders, The Netherlands. Journal of Hydrology, 394 (3-4), pp. 494-506.
- Rozemeijer, J.C., Y.van der Velde, H. De Jonge, H.P. Broers, F.C. van Geer and M.F.P Bierkens (2010) Testing a new sampler for time-average monitoring of dynamic solute concentrations in surface water, tube drain effluent and groundwater. Environmental Science and Technology 44: 1353 1359.
- Velde Y. van der, J.C. Rozemeijer, G.H. de Rooij, F.C. van Geer and H.P. Broers (2010) Field scale measurements for separation of catchment discharge into flow route contributions. Vadose Zone Journal 9 (1):25-35.
- Oude Essink, G.H.P., Van Baaren, E.S., De Louw, P.G.B. (2010). Effects of climate change on coastal groundwater systems: A modeling study in the Netherlands. Water Resources Research, 46 (10), art. no. W00F04, doi:10.1029/2009WR008719.
- Rozemeijer, J.C., H.P. Broers, F.C. van Geer and M.F.P Bierkens (2009) Weather-induced temporal variations in nitrate concentrations in shallow groundwater. Journal of Hydrology 378:119-127.
- Barth et al. (2009) Mobility, turnover and storage of pollutants in soils, sediments and waters: Achievements and results of the EU project AquaTerra. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 29 (1), pp. 161-173.
- Visser, A. R. Heerdink, H.P. Broers and M.F.P. Bierkens (2009) Travel time histograms derived from particle tracking in groundwater models containing weak sinks. Groundwater 47(2): 237-245.
- Broers H.P., Heerdink R. and Visser A. (2009) Simulating regional groundwater transport to surface waters combining stream tube and hydrogeochemical approaches. Extended abstract ModelCare 2009, Wuhan, China, 20-23 Sept 2009.
- Rozemeijer, J. and H.P. Broers (2007) The groundwater contribution to surface water contamination in a Dutch province with intensive agricultural land use. Environmental Pollution 148(3): 695-706
- Broers, H.P., B. van der Grift, J. ,Griffioen, J. en Heerdink R. (2007) Modelling reactive transport of diffuse contaminants in groundwater: identifying the groundwater contribution to surface water quality. Chapter 10.2 in Groundwater Science & Policy, edited by Ph. Quevauviller. To be published by Royal Society Chemistry. Pages 636-651.
Last modified: Wed Dec 30 09:07:20 CET 2015
