Yu et al. (2026) Response Characteristics of Karst Water Level to Precipitation and Hydrological Circulation Patterns in the Jinan Spring Basin, Northern China

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Water
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-08
• Authors: Dalu Yu, Qingyu Xu, Caiping Hu, Guan Guomeng, Yan Li, Liting Xing
• DOI: 10.3390/w18182224

Research Groups

• Key Laboratory of Karst Hydrogeology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing)
• Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences

Short Summary

This study investigates the hydrological response characteristics of the Jinan karst system in northern China by analyzing daily precipitation data and groundwater-level records using wavelet-based approaches. The research reveals that accumulated precipitation rather than individual rainfall events controls groundwater-level variations.

Objective

• Investigate the temporal scales at which precipitation signals control groundwater-level fluctuations in the Jinan Spring Basin

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Local to regional scale, focusing on the Jinan Spring Basin in northern China
• Temporal Scale: Daily to annual timescales, with a focus on 2016–2018 data

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Global wavelet spectrum (GWS) and wavelet transform coherence (WTC)
• Data sources: Daily precipitation data from 30 meteorological stations and groundwater-level records at Baotu Spring

Main Results

• Three prominent precipitation periods were identified: 17.37, 29.22, and 330.57 days
• Groundwater responses presented clear temporal-scale dependence, with short-period signals showing rapid but localized responses
• The percentage of significant coherence area (PASC) increased from 23.50% at the 0–17.37 day scale to 64.28% at the 29.22–330.57 day scale

Contributions

This study provides new insights into the internal structure and hydrological functioning of karst aquifers, offering scientific support for sustainable management of spring water resources.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41877231)
• Key Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KFZD-BR-2021-001)

Citation

@article{Yu2026Response,
  author = {Yu, Dalu and Qi, Huan and Xu, Qingyu and Hu, Caiping and Guomeng, Guan and Li, Yan and Xing, Liting},
  title = {Response Characteristics of Karst Water Level to Precipitation and Hydrological Circulation Patterns in the Jinan Spring Basin, Northern China},
  journal = {Water},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/w18182224},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/w18182224}
}