Premium
The hyporheic zone: Linking groundwater and surface water—understanding the paradigm
Author(s) -
Biksey Thomas M.,
Gross Elisa D.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
remediation journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.762
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1520-6831
pISSN - 1051-5658
DOI - 10.1002/rem.1025
Subject(s) - hyporheic zone , groundwater , downwelling , environmental science , surface water , upwelling , hydrology (agriculture) , submarine groundwater discharge , ecology , aquifer , geology , environmental engineering , geotechnical engineering , biology
The hyporheic zone, the transition region between groundwater and surface water, represents an importantinterface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. When groundwater combines with surface water in this zone,the characteristics of each are blended and new gradients are established, especially for contaminants. Therefore,the hyporheic zone is important in considering the “big ecological picture” as the hydrologic continuumconnecting groundwater and surface water. The importance is reflected by the current focus of this zone inecological risk assessments conducted under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA),Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and Clean Water Act(CWA) programs. A variety of tools can be used to measure, analyze, and predict the physical, chemical,and biological processes that occur within the hyporheic zone. Directly measuring the flux of water across theinterface between groundwater and surface water determines whether surface water enters the streambed atdownwelling zones or groundwater discharges from the streambed in upwelling zones. In addition to directmeasurements of the flux of water, several states have developed models to characterize the interaction ofgroundwater and surface water. The variability in physical and chemical characteristics between upwelling anddownwelling zones influences the local ecology within the zone. The study of the species within the hyporheic zoneincludes ecological surveys and ecotoxicological investigations. The evolving study of the hyporheic zone willnecessitate an increase in basic research into hydraulic considerations, an identification of regionalrepresentative sites with contaminated hyporheic zones, and a better understanding of the ecology of the specieswithin the zone. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.