Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
EGU 2023, Vienna, Avusturya, 23 - 28 Nisan 2023, ss.1-2
Modelling solute mixing and transport processes is one of the key steps to effectively managing
karstic groundwater resources, particularly under the threat of climate change and risk of
contamination. For that reason, a considerable body of literature has been devoted to
understanding and describing solute mixing and transport processes in karst aquifers. However,
due to the strong multiscale heterogeneity (from microscale to aquifer scale), modelling solute
mixing and transport processes in karst aquifers remains a challenging task. This presentation
critically reviews the current state of knowledge and fundamental challenges in the modelling of
solute mixing and transport processes in karst aquifers, thereby collocating and synthesizing the
existing body of knowledge in the literature. To provide a holistic and objective picture of the stateof-the-art of the solute mixing and transport modelling, we performed a bibliometric analysis on
the relevant literature for karst groundwater studies (over 2800 scientific papers). Further, with a
meta-analysis of scientific papers focusing on the quantitative tracer tests, we evaluated the fieldbased transport parameters that are typically served for the solute mixing and transport models.
The review unveils the fundamental modelling hinges underlying a successful modelling practice
for the solute mixing and transport processes in karst, thereby discussing to what extent and in
what ways we are dealing with these challenges. The major modelling challenges are defined as
follows: (i) Model conceptualization based on data collection and system understanding (e.g., How
well is the problem of interest defined? To what extent is the domain of interest described?), ii)
Model selection considering the choice of a dominant physicochemical process (e.g., How well is
the process of interest represented by a set of governing equations over the problem domain?),
iii) Time-variability of solute mixing and transport processes (e.g., To what extent do the
parameters represent the process of interest under the different time-scales?), iv) Model
parametrization considering the parameter non-uniqueness and transferability (e.g., How realistic
are the model parameters? To which extent are they transferable over the same aquifer?), v)
Uncertainty quantification in model results (e.g., How robust are the model results? How much are
we (un)certain about our model?). Finally, we address potential research directions and knowledge
gaps by encouraging the community for building a protocol for solute transport modelling in karst
aquifers, as well as providing more transparent and reproducible results.