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Journal of Environmental Hydrology
ISSN 1058-3912 |
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Electronic Journal of the International Association for
Environmental Hydrology
JEH Volume 19 (2011), Paper 9 Posted April 4, 2011 THE ROLE OF SINKHOLES IN GROUNDWATER RECHARGE IN THE HIGH MOUNTAINS OF LEBANON
Amin Shaban ABSTRACT Groundwater recharge is an essential hydrologic property that must be considered while determining potential zones for groundwater storage and protection. However, concerns in groundwater assessment are often given to other hydrologic elements, such as the fracture systems and statigraphic characterizations of the existing lithologies. In Lebanon, karstification is a dominant geomorphologic phenomenon that occurs either on-surface or subsurface, and plays in both cases a major role in the water flow regime and accumulation. Sinkholes are one of the surficial karst features that are widespread landforms in the mountainous regions of Lebanon, notably at higher altitudes, where hard carbonate rocks exist in a region with a high precipitation rate exceeding 1500mm and covered by snow for more than nine months a year. The regular melting of snow cover results in considerable amounts of surface water that percolate downward into sinkholes and feed the Cenomanian limestone formation, the major groundwater reservoir in Lebanon. This study discusses the formation and geomorphologic orientation of sinkholes, with a special emphasis on the mechanism of groundwater recharge. The study benefits from field observations and testing. It aims, in a broad sense, to focus on the role of sinkholes in recharging groundwater to aquifers in Lebanon, and it highlights the necessity to protect these features from human interference. Reference: Shaban, A., and T. Darwich. 2011. The role of sinkholes in groundwater recharge in the high mountains of Lebanon. Journal of Environmental Hydrology, Vol. 19, Paper 9. CONTACT: Amin Shaban Remote Sensing Center National Council for Scientific Research P.O. Box 11-8281 Beirut, Lebanon E-mail: geoamin@gmail.com |
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