About This Project

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

In our study area, rain at high elevations soaks-in quickly, and water flows to springs in the valleys below in underground conduits – a plumbing system. Previous work established connections between infiltration in the mountains and springs in the valleys, so we know the inlets and outlets of the system. Comparing timing of mountain precipitation to valley spring discharge yields lengths/diameters of the pipes. But, to learn the layout of the pipes, we need geophysics.

Geophysics is medical radiology applied to the Earth. We detect energy that passes through the ground (electrical currents, seismic waves, etc.) and use variations to make subsurface pictures. Geophysics is non-intrusive; no boreholes are needed, so the plumbing system, landscapes and sensitive ecosystems are not disturbed.

What is the significance of this project?

Nearly half of the Alps are karst – with limestone bedrock containing a plumbing system of dissolved conduits. These carry huge volumes of groundwater, providing much of the drinking and irrigation water in the Alps. In surrounding lowlands, some cities (e.g. Vienna and Grenoble) are almost entirely dependent on alpine karst water. In Austria (e.g.), 50% of fresh water comes from wells or springs fed by karst systems.

The region is developing rapidly. Along with climate change, this will drive increasing demand for fresh water, and decreasing supply, with the twin threats of groundwater contamination and depletion. Knowing the plan of the karst plumbing system would guide practices in land use, waste disposal, agriculture, and sustainable water withdrawal to protect this critical resource.

What are the goals of the project?

This is a piece of a joint project with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) that has been studying the karst system draining the Gottesacker Plateau to the Schwarzvasser Valley. We will test two geophysical methods (gravity and resistivity) for mapping alpine karst groundwater conduits. We will do testing near Hammerer Austria where previous work indicates two underground pipes feeding Europe’s largest reversing spring. Students from F&M and KIT will do the geophysical mapping and compare results with existing data on the local connections and capacities of the plumbing system. Future work will adapt and apply successful techniques throughout this area, and ultimately in other mountainous karst regions with potentially threatened water supplies (e.g. SE Asia, and the Andes).