Groundwater for Sustainable Development最新文献

{"title":"Source differentiation of co-mingled petroleum derivatives in groundwater at a historically oil-contaminated urban aquifer in South Korea","authors":"Jung-Woo Hwang ,&nbsp;Seong-Taek Yun ,&nbsp;Soonyoung Yu ,&nbsp;Kyung-Jin Lee ,&nbsp;Jeong-Eun Oh ,&nbsp;Jeong Hee Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101565","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101565","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groundwater contamination source identification is challenging due to delayed detection and changes in fingerprints during transport. In this study, multiple methods were combined to characterize the sources of petroleum derivatives in groundwater near a subway station, where petroleum derivatives, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), have been detected for over two decades. The techniques used included hydrochemistry, oil fingerprinting, compound specific C and H isotopes, and multivariate statistical and temporal trend analysis. An integrated interpretation differentiated two contamination zones. Zone 1, near the station, showed older contamination from middle distillates, based on low total petroleum hydrocarbon levels compared to the previously high concentrations, decreasing trends of BTEX, high mole fractions of xylene, and the presence of heavier hydrocarbons. Conversely, Zone 2, to the south, revealed high BTEX concentrations, high mole fractions of benzene, and lighter hydrocarbons, indicating more recent contamination from light distillates. Anaerobic biodegradation was revealed to occur in Zone 1 based on principal component analysis (PCA), δ¹³C and δ²H of BTEX, and increasing benzene/toluene but decreasing toluene/ethylbenzene with time. Meanwhile, benzene degradation appeared recalcitrant in Zone 2. This study demonstrated that oil fingerprints and mole fractions are valuable in distinguishing sources, while PCA and isotope analysis help assess contaminant fate in groundwater when access to potential sources was limited. Combined application of these techniques, along with site history, is expected to differentiate contamination sources in urban groundwater with multiple potential sources across times and locations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37879,"journal":{"name":"Groundwater for Sustainable Development","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 101565"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comparative study of key factors influencing groundwater in a temperate and a semi-arid regions","authors":"Mahdi Miri ,&nbsp;Mehdi Zarei ,&nbsp;Diana M. Allen","doi":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groundwater depletion is a critical issue with significant impacts on water availability in diverse climatic settings. This study uses a range of statistical methods and remote-sensing techniques to investigate the factors, specifically, climatic, hydrological, and human-driven changes, that influence groundwater levels (GWLs) in aquifers in a temperate region (three aquifers in southwestern Canada) and a semi-arid region (four aquifers in southern Iran). Change point and trend analyses reveal significant declines in GWL (groundwater depletion) in one aquifer in the temperate region and in all aquifers in the semi-arid region, despite climate variables such as precipitation, temperature, and potential evapotranspiration showing minimal changes over the study period. In contrast, human-induced factors, including agricultural expansion, deforestation, and increases in the number of pumping wells, have occurred in the aquifers of both regions. The comparative design highlights contrasting resilience: Canadian aquifers exhibit partial recovery under management interventions, whereas Iranian aquifers demonstrate persistent over-extraction with limited recharge. These findings emphasize that human pressure, rather than climate, is the primary driver of depletion and that adaptive, region-specific groundwater governance is critical for sustainable management under future climate and land-use change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37879,"journal":{"name":"Groundwater for Sustainable Development","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 101562"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Source apportionment and uncertainty assessment of nitrate and phosphate pollution in shallow groundwater in agricultural watersheds based on multi-isotope methods","authors":"Qingfei Chen ,&nbsp;Chi Wang ,&nbsp;Anqiang Chen ,&nbsp;Rongyang Cui ,&nbsp;Wanli Hu ,&nbsp;Bin Fu ,&nbsp;Cunzheng Jiang ,&nbsp;Xingwei Chen ,&nbsp;Dan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantitative identification of the sources of nitrate (NO₃⁻) and phosphate (PO₄³⁻) in water bodies is crucial for controlling nonpoint source pollution in agricultural watersheds. However, accurate quantification of the contributions of pollution sources to NO₃⁻ and PO₄³⁻ in groundwater has not been thoroughly studied. The typical agricultural watershed of Xingyun Lake was selected as the object, a combination of multi-isotopes (δ²H, δ¹⁸O-H₂O, δ¹⁵N-NO₃, δ¹⁸O-NO₃ and δ¹⁸O-PO₄) and the SIAR model was used to evaluate the contributions of various pollution sources to NO₃⁻ and PO₄³⁻ in shallow groundwater within the watershed, and the uncertainties in different sources were analysed. The results revealed that domestic sewage (CE), livestock manure (LM), and soil N (SN) were the main sources of NO₃⁻ in groundwater during the rainy season (RS), with contribution rates of 32 % (uncertainty index (<em>UI</em>_<em>90</em>) = 0.53), 24 % (<em>UI</em>_<em>90</em> = 0.41) and 24 % (<em>UI</em>_<em>90</em> = 0.46), respectively. CE (26 %, <em>UI</em>_<em>90</em> = 0.49), SN (25 %, <em>UI</em>_<em>90</em> = 0.47) and N fertilizer (22 %, <em>UI</em>_<em>90</em> = 0.44) were the main sources of NO₃⁻ in groundwater during the dry season (DS). NO₃⁻ in groundwater was dominated by nitrification during the DS, and weak denitrification existed during the RS. Microbially driven PO₄³⁻ fractionation processes were not obvious. P fertilizer, LM and soil P, CE were the main sources of PO₄³⁻ in groundwater during the RS and DS, with contribution rates of 29 % (<em>UI</em>_<em>90</em> = 0.42), 22 % (<em>UI</em>_<em>90</em> = 0.47) and 28 % (<em>UI</em>_<em>90</em> = 0.51), 27 % (<em>UI</em>_<em>90</em> = 0.50), respectively. Uncertainty analysis revealed that the contributions of N and P from CE and soil to groundwater pollution exhibited relatively high uncertainty. The sampling frequency should be increased, and the sampling period should be extended to enhance the monitoring of these pollution sources and increase the accuracy of the quantification of source contributions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37879,"journal":{"name":"Groundwater for Sustainable Development","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 101561"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145738259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of sulfur isotopes to investigate the generation and migration of acid mine drainage in a uranium mine","authors":"Fernanda Cristina Fonseca Camargo ,&nbsp;Carlos Alberto de Carvalho Filho ,&nbsp;Ricardo Gomes Passos ,&nbsp;Stela Dalva Santos Cota ,&nbsp;Paulo Sérgio Pelógia Minardi ,&nbsp;Virgílio Lopardi Bomtempo ,&nbsp;Thiago Fernando de Ávila Navarro","doi":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101563","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101563","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>When sulfide minerals are exposed to oxidizing conditions, acid mine drainage (AMD) is generated. While this process can occur naturally, mining activities significantly accelerate it, often leading to groundwater contamination. This study reports the use of stable sulfur isotopes to characterize the predominant chemical processes involved in AMD generation within a uranium mining waste pile and its subsequent migration to adjacent areas. The sulfur isotopic composition of dissolved sulfate in water and the oxygen isotopic composition in sulfate and water molecules were analyzed to confirm AMD formation and identify the primary reaction pathway for pyrite oxidation. The <span><math><mrow><msup><mi>δ</mi><mn>34</mn></msup><msub><mi>S</mi><msubsup><mtext>SO</mtext><mn>4</mn><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>‐</mo></mrow></msubsup></msub></mrow></math></span> values ranged from −1.5 to +0.7 ‰, while the <span><math><mrow><msup><mi>δ</mi><mn>18</mn></msup><msub><mi>O</mi><msubsup><mtext>SO</mtext><mn>4</mn><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>‐</mo></mrow></msubsup></msub></mrow></math></span> values ranged from −2.8 to −1.5 ‰. The relative contribution of water molecules to pyrite oxidation, as determined using the stoichiometric isotopic balance model, varied between 82 and 101 ‰ when water isotopic enrichment factors near 4 ‰ were applied. The primary mechanism for pyrite oxidation was identified as pyrite oxidation by ferric ions. These findings demonstrate that studying sulfur isotopic signatures in groundwater and surface waters offers valuable insights for developing AMD mitigation strategies and other related environmental protection measures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37879,"journal":{"name":"Groundwater for Sustainable Development","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 101563"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global distribution, synergistic interactions, and advances in in-situ remediation of prevalent heavy metal(loid)s in groundwater systems","authors":"Diksha Dangwal ,&nbsp;Rahul Silori ,&nbsp;Balendu Shekher Giri","doi":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groundwater contamination by heavy metals (HMs) is a critical environmental and public health challenge, threatening a critical source of drinking water. This review synthesizes research from the past 1.5 decades on the global occurrence, spread, mobility, interaction mechanisms and in-situ remediation of four prevalent HMs: Arsenic (As), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), and Chromium (Cr), highlighting their widespread distribution and underlying causes of contamination across groundwater systems. HMs bio-mimic vital elements and disrupt biological functions. HMs may form reactive oxygen species (ROS) and destabilize DNA, RNA and protein. Findings reveal contamination is pervasive; particularly affecting South Asian and developed nations such as Italy, Canada, Spain, Australia and USA. The maximum concentration of As, which has geogenic causes as origin, was recorded at Nigeria (3.06 mg/L), followed by USA (3 mg/L). Pb contamination by anthropogenic intervention is humungous in Kenya, attaining 121.40 mg/L. The chief sources of Cr in Tamil Nadu, India, are the mining and tannery industries, with concentration peaking to 40.52 mg/L. Cd contamination, caused by anthropogenic activities, reached 8 mg/L (Kenya), establishing Kenya as the hotspot of contamination. Microplastics increase metal bioaccumulation, PPCPs modify metal toxicity, HMs cause antimicrobial gene transfer, which causes greater mobility and persistence of HMs. Emerging PRB setups and novel media like sulfidated nZVI, goethite promises solutions of 90 % HM removal, electrocoagulation brought 80 % As removal in most field trials. By consolidating recent findings, this review equips researchers and policymakers with a comprehensive understanding of groundwater contamination scenario, associated implications and protection strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37879,"journal":{"name":"Groundwater for Sustainable Development","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 101559"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficient removal of long- and short-chain PFAS from contaminated groundwater onto trimetallic nanoparticles and halloysite nanotubes assembled mesoporous alginate polymer beads","authors":"Masud Hassan ,&nbsp;Ravi Naidu ,&nbsp;Amal Kanti Deb ,&nbsp;Fangjie Qi ,&nbsp;Bing Wang ,&nbsp;Tao Jiang ,&nbsp;Jianhua Du ,&nbsp;Md Ariful Ahsan ,&nbsp;Yanju Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of toxic organofluoride chemicals that should be effectively remediated from soil and water environments to avoid biotoxicity. This study employs tri-metallic nanoparticles (NiZnFe₄O₄) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) to assemble mesoporous alginate polymer beads (NiZnFe₄O₄-HNTs@alg) for the separation of multicomponent PFAS from realistic groundwater. NiZnFe₄O₄-HNTs@alg efficiently removed short- and long-chain PFAS compounds, including FASAAs (C_nF_2n+1SO₂NHC₂H₄COOH), FASAs (C_nF_2n+1SO₂NH₂), FASEs (C_nF_2n+1SO₂NHCH₂CH₂OH), PFSAs (C_nF_2n+1-SO₂-R), PFCAs (C_nF_2n+1COOH), and FTSs (C_nF_2n+1C₂H₄-R). Synergistic mechanisms were identified, where NiZnFe₄O₄ provided magnetic separability, and HNTs increased the number of hydrophilic active sites. The adsorbent achieved &gt;99.95 % removal efficiency for all the studied short- and long-chain PFAS from groundwater in the presence of heavy metals, including manganese (0.037 ± 0.03 μg/L), cobalt (0.138 ± 0.14 μg/L), arsenic (1.668 ± 0.127 μg/L), selenium (0.360 ± 0.14 μg/L), cadmium (0.360 ± 0.14 μg/L), and antimony (0.360 ± 0.14 μg/L). A higher adsorption performance of PFAS was achieved in the presence of a realistic groundwater matrix, including the metal ions, total organic carbon (3.93 ± 0.04 mg/L), and inorganic carbon (21.66 ± 0.45 mg/L). The unique capability of the adsorbent is its ability to facilitate easy separation of PFAS-exhausted adsorbents, which is a challenging issue for most conventional adsorbents. These findings establish a transformative platform for <em>ex-situ</em> groundwater remediation, highlighting the potential of NiZnFe₄O₄-HNTs@alg to address PFAS separation challenges and pave the way for enabling field-scale implementation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37879,"journal":{"name":"Groundwater for Sustainable Development","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 101558"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145738257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tracing the causes of fluoride enrichment in the groundwater sources of the Upper Bhavani River Basin, Southwest India–An integrated approach for its management in mountainous terrains","authors":"Gayathri J A,&nbsp;Vipin T Raj,&nbsp;Sreelash K,&nbsp;Maya K,&nbsp;Padmalal D","doi":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrogeochemistry, geochemical evolution, and fluoride enrichment were evaluated in the Attappadi Critical Zone Observatory within the Upper Bhavani River Basin, using 104 groundwater samples collected seasonally from open wells and bore wells. Groundwater is predominantly of Ca-HCO₃ and mixed Ca-Na-HCO₃ types, reflecting significant influence from silicate and carbonate weathering. Bivariate plots and multivariate statistical analyses (correlation, PCA, HCA) confirm that geogenic processes primarily control groundwater chemistry, although anthropogenic inputs are evident in agriculture and settlement-influenced zones. Both open well and bore well samples are saturated to oversaturated with carbonate minerals such as calcite, aragonite, dolomite, and magnesite, often leading to scaling. Fluoride concentration ranged from 0.10 mg/l to 1.41 mg/l in open well and 0.11 mg/l to 3.11 mg/l in bore well samples. F/Cl ratio and stable isotope data (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) suggest that fluoride enrichment is predominantly governed by geogenic process. Overall, the data reveal that geogenic factors play a major role in F^- enrichment in the groundwater of the study area. These findings provide a clear understanding of the geochemical processes influencing the groundwater quality, and provide a scientific basis for implementing sustainable management strategies in the hard rock terrains, particularly within mountainous watersheds where groundwater is a vital drinking water source.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37879,"journal":{"name":"Groundwater for Sustainable Development","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 101557"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145738258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Managed Aquifer Recharge: Modeling approaches to integrated assessment of groundwater interventions","authors":"Mina Yazdani ,&nbsp;Peter van Thienen ,&nbsp;Sija F. Stofberg ,&nbsp;Marjolein H.J. van Huijgevoort ,&nbsp;Ruud P. Bartholomeus","doi":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101552","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101552","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groundwater resources are under increasing pressure due to water abstractions and climate change, leading to water scarcity problems and threats to groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques offer a promising strategy for mitigating water scarcity problems and advancing sustainable management of groundwater resources. These measures aim at intentional recharge and storage of water in aquifers by linking periods of surplus with periods of shortage to overcome the temporal imbalance. While MAR has traditionally been implemented at local scales, growing challenges related to water scarcity and groundwater depletion have led to their increasing adoption across broader regions. This shift highlights the need for modeling approaches that can adequately represent MAR within regional water systems, emphasizing interactions with both hydrological and anthropogenic components while allowing investigation of trade-offs when planning these measures. This paper provides an overview of the modeling methodologies used to assess MAR interventions in a regional context. We begin by discussing the inherent complexity of the effects of groundwater interventions such as MAR at the regional level, particularly regarding water quantity. We then look into a range of modeling approaches available in the literature to capture these complexities, based on the modeling objective, data availability, and the required spatial and temporal scales. We further emphasize the importance of incorporating multiple levels of uncertainty throughout the planning and implementation of MAR projects and model-based analyses. Our study highlights that, despite their promise, integrated and holistic modeling approaches remain underutilized in groundwater research, including MAR, highlighting a need for broader development and adoption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37879,"journal":{"name":"Groundwater for Sustainable Development","volume":"32 ","pages":"Article 101552"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145658884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The potential of localized near-nature managed aquifer recharge in the context of climate change adaption – An assessment within Brandenburg's lower spree catchment","authors":"Jan Stautzebach,&nbsp;Jörg Steidl,&nbsp;Christoph Merz","doi":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101549","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101549","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Adaptation strategies are required to strengthen the resilience of groundwater resources that are primarily challenged by climatic and anthropogenic impacts. In this regard, active management through groundwater recharge and recovery techniques known as managed aquifer recharge (MAR) may stabilize groundwater storage and connected surface waters. One option for this management is the surface-induced recharge of available surplus water (infiltration basin), which seeps through the unsaturated soil zone, is stored in an evapotranspiration-free aquifer beneath it, and is recovered when needed. However, surface-induced MAR is underrepresented within the lower catchment of the river Spree. This study therefore assessed potential and individual recharge locations. Including thematic maps derived from a set of weighted criteria, a broad spectrum of suitable conditions were shown using indices in terms of land use, infiltration characteristics, hydrogeology, and economic feasibility. They were consistent with the recharge capabilities found for a dense network of natural topographic sinks, some of which can be employed for decentralized near-natural and semi-constructed groundwater recharge. Accordingly, surplus discharge water volumes from extreme weather events were assessed to be a sufficient source for many recharge locations, including those with storage capabilities that could be increased through construction. Altogether, around one quarter of the study area was found to be predominantly moderately to highly suitable, including some isolated and many closely spaced sinks of varying sizes, which can also be used for grouped groundwater recharge. These can therefore be regarded as scalable groundwater recharge clusters and are available for further comprehensive decision-making and model-based analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37879,"journal":{"name":"Groundwater for Sustainable Development","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article 101549"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145614818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Explainable deep learning-based simulation for evaluating climate-driven future groundwater level changes in South Korea","authors":"Jimin Hwang ,&nbsp;Kang-Kun Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101541","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gsd.2025.101541","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Simulating groundwater levels (GWL) under future climate scenarios using meteorological inputs enables the evaluation of climate-driven impacts on groundwater systems and informs adaptive management. Although the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for GWL projection has increased, such models are often applied without assessing their plausibility or explainability, which may result in physically implausible outcomes. This study developed explainable deep learning model to simulate GWL variation through the end of the 21st century under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1–2.6 and SSP5–8.5), and applied them to national groundwater monitoring wells installed in alluvial and bedrock aquifers in South Korea. The framework applied interpretation algorithms to AI models, allowing verification of hydrogeologically plausible relationships before long-term simulations. The models projected more unstable GWL patterns under SSP5–8.5 than under SSP1–2.6, with prolonged low-GWL periods and a long-term decline. Relative reductions in period-mean GWL from the reference to future periods reached −1.41 % under SSP5–8.5, compared to less than −0.56 % under SSP1–2.6. Statistically significant declining trends appeared mainly under SSP5–8.5 and were more pronounced in alluvial aquifers than in bedrock aquifers. As only the direct impacts of climate change were considered, these differences are interpreted as resulting from variations in the climate-driven recharge signal due to altered rainfall patterns and increased evapotranspiration. By applying explainable deep learning models, this study improved the robustness and reliability of AI-based GWL projections. The overall results showing reduced resilience of groundwater systems to climate-induced stress suggest the need for adaptive management strategies in the future to ensure groundwater sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37879,"journal":{"name":"Groundwater for Sustainable Development","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article 101541"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145465186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}