Scientists from the UGR prove that rivers do not act as barriers for ground...( This release is also available in Th...)

This release is also available in Spanish.

The research team from the Geodynamics Department at the University of Granada and the Spanish Institute of Geology and Mining (which is part of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science) has studied the hydrogeology of the karst aquifers in the Mediterranean climate. It has been found that, contrary to popular belief, rivers do not act as insurmountable barriers for groundwater flow.

This pioneering study was carried out by Antonio Gonzlez Ramn and directed by doctors Manuel Lpez Chicano and Juan Carlos Rubio Campos. They based their research on the karst aquifer situated in the Pegalajar and the Mojn Blanco ranges. It occupies the northern side of the Betica mountain range and was provisionally declared overexploited in 1992 because of the complete drying up of the La Reja spring - whose source is situated in the centre of the village of Pegalajar - due to the exploitation of the water resources in order to supply the villages of Mancha Real, Pegalajar and La Guardia, which are all situated in the province of Jan, Spain.

These scientists have proven that important rivers such as Guadalbulln are not insurmountable barriers for groundwater flows, as previously believed. The analysis of piezometric, hydrochemical and isotopic data from groundwater flows revealed that they cross the Guadalbulln River from one bank to the other due to a certain geological structure which prevents the groundwater from being influenced by the river flow.

The analysed data

This research is based on the analysis of environmental isotopes, and both piezometric and hydrochemical data collected from the aquifers located in the Pegalajar and the Mojn Blanco ranges and from others ne
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