Seasonal subsurface water contributions to baseflow in the mountainous uhlířská catchment (Czech Republic)

Abstract

Nine years of seasonal δ18O values in precipitation, soilwater and groundwater were evaluated in the Uhlířská catchment between 2008 and 2016 and recharge winter/summer ratios were calculated using δ18O values. The longterm average 18O content in groundwater is lower than the mean weighted 18O content in precipitation. This is explained by more than 50% of winter- and snowmelt- induced groundwater recharge that occurs in all years except of 2010 and 2013. The recharge of the peat organic soil water is balanced between summer and winter, whereas the mineral hillslope soil is dominantly recharged by summer precipitation. The 67% portion of baseflow, dominantly generated in the winter season, is composed of groundwater and peat organic soil water, according to the hydrochemical distribution of runoff components. Isotopic mass balance of individual winters shows that precipitation in warmer winters is entirely transformed into outflow until the end of the winter season, generating no significant water storage for potential drought periods