The use of artificial tracers is a well-established method for investigation of karstic aquifers. The majority of the tracer experiments (artificial and biological tracers) are applied to specify the watercatchment boundaries: the relation between a sinkhole and an outlet, diffluent phenomenas, transit time, and so forth. Recently, the interest has been increased due to the need to investigate the transport of pollutants in groundwater. Tracer experiments have become a well-known tool for transport simulations of miscible pollutants with groundwater. The amount of existing tracers for the application in karstic areas is already considerably large and still growing. The tracers are chosen on the basis of cost and practical reasons. An application to obtain an information system has been developed by the use of ArcInfo coupled with ORACLE by storing and querying the available data just up to a certain level with a continuously updated map of the water protection zones. This project offers the tools adapted and adaptable to practical, scientific, and administrative work in the field of groundwater management and protection.
Mahmoud Bouzelboudjen
Centre d'Hydrogeologie
Emile-Argand 11
CH-2007
Neuchatel
Switzerland
Telephone: 41 38 23 26 88
Fax: 41 38 23 21 01
Email: Mahmoud.Bouzelboudjen@chyn.unine.ch
Francois Burri
Centre de Calcul
Universite de Neuchatel
Switzerland
Yves Gonseth
Centre Suisse de Cartographie de la Faune
Neuchatel
Switzerland
Pascal Ornstein