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<p>Our study focuses on the Wadi Sebdou basin, a tributary catchment located in northwestern Algeria within the larger Tafna River basin, covering an area of 616.8 km<sup>2</sup>. This region is characterized by an extensive karstic system developed within carbonate-dominated terrain of Upper Jurassic age. Severe drought conditions in the region have significantly impacted groundwater recharge in the karst aquifer, resulting in groundwater extraction rates that exceed recharge. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the average groundwater deficit during the observation period and in particular to characterize the hydrodynamic behavior of the karst aquifer in response to varying levels of natural recharge, thereby assessing its self-renewal capacity. To achieve this, hydrological modeling was conducted using the global conceptual model, GARDÉNIA, which takes account of external water exchanges and cascading reservoir dynamics. Application of the GARDÉNIA model yielded satisfactory calibration results for the period of 1975–2005. Additionally, the study confirmed the presence of a significant climatic variability phenomenon that affected the region from 2005 to 2016, which adversely impacted the model’s performance during this period. During the calibration period, the GARDÉNIA simulations provided robust evidence of the temporal evolution of hydrological processes. These findings underscore the crucial role of the karstic aquifer, particularly its groundwater flow, in maintaining the year-round sustainability of the Wadi Sebdou system. The simulation results demonstrate a consistent hydrodynamic behavior of the karstic aquifer in relation to recharge. When annual recharge reaches 61.5&#xa0;mm per year, external groundwater flow can be eliminated, effectively stabilizing the water balance in the basin. Water balance calculations indicate that the aquifer in Wadi Sebdou basin receives an average groundwater input of 2.2&#xa0;mm/year, resulting in an average deficit of 1.35696 hm<sup>3</sup>/year. This deficit is compensated by the intricate network of the karstic system present in the upper Tafna, which is not directly connected to surface hydrological units. Under zero recharge conditions, the theoretical maximum groundwater flow contribution through this regional karstic system could reach 37.13136 hm<sup>3</sup>/year (60.2&#xa0;mm).</p>

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Contribution of hydrological modeling to the estimation of groundwater deficit and/or excess in a karstic aquifer: the case of Wadi Sebdou catchment (Tafna, NW, Algeria)

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月5日

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  • Abdelkader Otmane,
  • Radia Gherissi,
  • Halima Belarbi,
  • Abdelhakim Belaroui,
  • Walid Rabehi

摘要

Our study focuses on the Wadi Sebdou basin, a tributary catchment located in northwestern Algeria within the larger Tafna River basin, covering an area of 616.8 km2. This region is characterized by an extensive karstic system developed within carbonate-dominated terrain of Upper Jurassic age. Severe drought conditions in the region have significantly impacted groundwater recharge in the karst aquifer, resulting in groundwater extraction rates that exceed recharge. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the average groundwater deficit during the observation period and in particular to characterize the hydrodynamic behavior of the karst aquifer in response to varying levels of natural recharge, thereby assessing its self-renewal capacity. To achieve this, hydrological modeling was conducted using the global conceptual model, GARDÉNIA, which takes account of external water exchanges and cascading reservoir dynamics. Application of the GARDÉNIA model yielded satisfactory calibration results for the period of 1975–2005. Additionally, the study confirmed the presence of a significant climatic variability phenomenon that affected the region from 2005 to 2016, which adversely impacted the model’s performance during this period. During the calibration period, the GARDÉNIA simulations provided robust evidence of the temporal evolution of hydrological processes. These findings underscore the crucial role of the karstic aquifer, particularly its groundwater flow, in maintaining the year-round sustainability of the Wadi Sebdou system. The simulation results demonstrate a consistent hydrodynamic behavior of the karstic aquifer in relation to recharge. When annual recharge reaches 61.5 mm per year, external groundwater flow can be eliminated, effectively stabilizing the water balance in the basin. Water balance calculations indicate that the aquifer in Wadi Sebdou basin receives an average groundwater input of 2.2 mm/year, resulting in an average deficit of 1.35696 hm3/year. This deficit is compensated by the intricate network of the karstic system present in the upper Tafna, which is not directly connected to surface hydrological units. Under zero recharge conditions, the theoretical maximum groundwater flow contribution through this regional karstic system could reach 37.13136 hm3/year (60.2 mm).