Towards Sustainability: The Geochemistry of Groundwater and Surface Water Systems
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Water Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 418
Special Issue Editors
Interests: hydrochemistry; surface water–groundwater interaction; isotope hydrology; groundwater quality
Interests: hydrochemistry; groundwater quality; machine learning; surface water–groundwater interaction
Interests: hydrochemistry; isotope hydrology; surface water-groundwater interaction; water quality
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The intensification of global climate change and related anthropogenic activities have significantly altered both the quality of water and interactions between surface water and groundwater, as well as modifying hydrological cycle processes. These changes have caused the uneven spatiotemporal distribution of water resources, the degradation of aquatic ecosystems, and consequential impacts on human production activities and socio-economic development. Therefore, evaluating the hydrodynamic interactions between groundwater and surface water systems, characterizing hydrological cycling processes, and delineating spatiotemporal distribution patterns of regional water resources hold the crucial significance for advancing scientific management frameworks and optimizing rational utilization strategies for water resources.
Groundwater and surface water are the vital freshwater resources on Earth, forming an essential component of the global hydrological cycle. The mechanisms of interaction between these two water compartments primarily manifest through three dominant processes—groundwater discharge into surface water, surface water infiltration replenishing aquifers, and biogeochemical exchanges at aquatic–terrestrial interfaces. These dynamic interactions facilitate bidirectional transfers of water fluxes and biogeochemical substances (including carbon, nitrogen, heavy metals, and other solutes) across aquifer–surface water systems (rivers, lakes, wetlands, and marine ecosystems). The resulting mass transport mechanisms critically govern surface water recharge dynamics and influence groundwater quality evolution.
This Special Issue aims to publish high-quality geochemical studies on groundwater and surface water systems. Geochemical methods coupled with other approaches (such as laboratory and field experiments, numerical modeling, machine learning, etc.) in order to understand interactions between surface water and groundwater systems are highly welcome in this Special Issue. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome, and research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- The application of geochemical methods in surface water and groundwater quality evolution;
- Multiple approaches to understanding surface water and groundwater interactions;
- Geological disasters induced by the interaction between surface water and groundwater;
- Tracing water and substance circulation via isotopes;
- Te geochemistry of thermal water circulation;
- Geological disasters related to the water cycle
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Shen Qu
Dr. Shouchuan Zhang
Dr. Xiaohui Ren
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- geochemistry
- hydrochemistry
- isotope
- groundwater–surface water interaction
- numerical modeling
- thermal water
- water cycle
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