USE OF ISOTOPIC TECHNIQUES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF HYDROLOGICAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN GROUND AND SURFACE WATERS — RIO MAN, CIÉNAGA COLOMBIA

PALACIO BUITRAGO PAOLA; DAPEÑA, CRISTINA; BENTANCUR VARGAS, TERESITA

Isotopes in Hydrology, Marine Ecosystems and Climate Change Studies

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY

Lugar: Vienna; Año: 2013; p. 125 - 135

The Man River basin is located in the lower foothills of the western and central ranges of the tropical Andes, Colombia. In this area hydrological studies and hydrochemical analyses were carried out and isotopic techniques applied to describe and understand the interactions between ground and surface waters. To expand this model and to include elements other than local hydrodynamics, relationships between regional precipitation, recharge, regional low paths and hydraulic gradients controlling water lows from big rivers to groundwater are currently being explored. Accordingly, an isotope local meteoric water line was derived and it was discovered that the relationship between ground and surface waters is similar in wet and dry seasons. Precipitation constitutes the main recharge source, base low is important in supporting low in rivers, streams and wetlands, and evaporation causes effects over water systems in dry periods. A tendency towards increasing air temperatures has been detected in the Man River; this change may cause negative impacts over the hydrological system, affecting evapotranspiration– recharge processes.