Groundwater environmental capacity and its evaluation index

Area of Science:

• Hydrogeology
• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management

Background:

• Lack of a unified definition and evaluation system for groundwater environmental capacity in academia.
• Environmental impacts arising from groundwater resource exploitation require assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define groundwater environmental capacity and establish a comprehensive evaluation index system.
• To analyze the environmental effects of groundwater exploitation.
• To demonstrate the dynamic changeability and indicative function of groundwater environmental capacity.

Main Methods:

• Defining groundwater environmental capacity as a critical spatio-temporal value.
• Establishing six level 1 evaluation indexes and 11 constraint factors based on scientific, measurable, and applicable principles.
• Case study in Jinan spring region using groundwater level and spring flow as constraint factors.

Main Results:

• The study proposes a definition for groundwater environmental capacity.
• An evaluation index system with six level 1 indexes and 11 constraint factors is established.
• Calculations in the Jinan spring region validated the dynamic changeability and indicative function of groundwater environmental capacity.

Conclusions:

• Groundwater environmental capacity is a critical value influencing groundwater system response to external factors.
• The developed evaluation system provides a scientific basis for assessing groundwater environmental capacity.
• Further research trends in groundwater environmental capacity are identified.