Former PROTECT trainee Reza Ghasemizadeh simulated the drainage effect of conduit networks by incorporating drain lines connecting sinkholes and springs to improve regional modeling. Implemented in an equivalent porous media (EPM) approach, the model with drains is able to reproduce the spring discharge hydrographs in response to rainfall. Hydraulic characteristics of the aquifers are found to be scale-dependent.
The study enhances the current understanding of the complex flow patterns in karst aquifers and suggests that proper accounting for drainage features improves modeling where available data on conduit characteristics are minimal. This will also lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms and rates at which contaminants move in karst aquifers, and thus the development of better strategies for remediation and minimizing exposures.
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