Introducing the recharge-discharge relationship to evaluate the recharge coefficient of karstic aquifers: thematic and indexing approaches

摘要

Karst aquifers and springs are important with respect to their potential for supplying drinking water in regions suffering from water scarcity in Iran. Accordingly, it is essential to determine the recharge potential of the catchment and the regions with higher obtainability potential. This study provides a road map for the Sheshpeer catchment in southern Iran. A recharge potential (RP) map was produced from which a recharge index (RI) was computed for several selected springs in the catchment. Furthermore, the unit discharge (q) - defined as the average annual discharge for a given catchment area and unit rainfall depth for each spring - was calculated. The plot of q versus RI for the springs showed a linear positive relationship between the two variables (R-2 = 0.9). Applying the trend equation of this plot to the whole Sheshpeer karstic catchment reveals that its long-term recharge coefficient is 0.74.