Measuring methods for groundwater – surface water interactions: a review

摘要

Interactions between groundwater and surface water play a fundamental role inthe functioning of riparian ecosystems. In the context of sustainable riverbasin management it is crucial to understand and quantify exchange processesbetween groundwater and surface water. Numerous well-known methods exist forparameter estimation and process identification in aquifers and surfacewaters. Only in recent years has the transition zone become asubject of major research interest; thus, the need has evolved for appropriatemethods applicable in this zone. This article provides an overview of themethods that are currently applied and described in the literature for estimating fluxes at the groundwater – surface water interface.Considerations for choosing appropriate methods are givenincluding spatial and temporal scales, uncertainties, and limitations inapplication. It is concluded that a multi-scale approach combining multiplemeasuring methods may considerably constrain estimates of fluxes betweengroundwater and surface water.