Piece 5 - Local and Regional Groundwater Flows
Is the aquifer connected?
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The connectivity of a basement aquifer changes with groundwater level.
Key findings
![[Picture]](https://spaces-cdn.owlstown.com/blobs/9rpozu9v3bf9acjee9gh7f5b5usg.jpeg){kind=link}
HIGH WATER LEVEL
Active zone saturated
→ large horizontal connectivity
→ regional flows
→ large recharge areas
LOW WATER LEVEL
Active zone partly unsaturated
→ disconnected compartments
→ local flow systems
→ smaller recharge areas
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Why does it matter?
Water management
The same aquifer may behave as a relatively connected system during high groundwater levels and as a strongly compartmentalized system during low-water conditions.
Fractured crystalline aquifer connectivity is dynamic: it depends on the saturation state of the shallow permeable zone.