Use of dissolved organic carbon to characterize infiltration in a small karst system in the French Jura mountains (Fertans, France)

Abstract

Due to the high input of organic soil substances in infiltrated water, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is an interesting tracer to determine water origin in hydrosystems. The aim of this study was to use continuous measurements of DOC natural fluorescence in spring water to characterize infiltration in a karst system at the event time scale. Hydrological data were recorded at the outlet of a small perennial spring within a cliff at Fertans in the French Jura mountains since July 2009. Results showed that the response of the system was fast (response time of 3 hours) and was produced by two combined flow types. First, discharge and turbidity peaks, and electrical conductivity troughs were produced by a piston-type flow enabling an unclogging of the fractures. Second, this fast infiltration process was followed by a slower one enriched in DOC, produced by a more diffuse-type flow through the matrix compartment.