Preliminary estimation of groundwater recharge on Brda river outwash plain

Abstract

Estimation of groundwater recharge is one of the most challenging subjects in hydrogeology. It is a critical factor influencing the pollution migration, assessment of aquifer vulnerability to contamination, small-scale groundwater budget calculation, modeling of nutrient cycling and detailed flow path calculations. In Poland an infiltration rate method is widely used, which depends on a system of rate coefficients referring to the type of soil in the vadose zone and shows which part of the precipitation actually reaches the water table. The paper presents results of numerical simulations of vertical flow in unsaturated zone of an experimental site located on Brda outwash plain. Two simulations for varying vegetative cover (pine forest and grass) were performed. The results were compared with five infiltration rates classifications.