Academic CentreResearch includes groundwater resources, dynamic, and chemical composition as well as its interaction with climate system, anthropogenic environment, and ecosystems. In the Faculty of geography and Earth Sciences, Department of Geology the groundwater research is implemented by Centre of Geological Processes Research and Modelling. One of the first significant research projects of the Centre was the elaboration of the hydrogeological model of the Baltic Artesian Basin in cooperation with researchers from Faculty of Physics and Mathematics from the unit that now is known as the Institute of Numerical Modelling.
The groundwater research includes climate change impact including groundwater drought studies, hydrogeological phenomena related to Daugava hydropower plant cascade, karst phenomena, groundwater dependent ecosystem, wetland hydrology, soil water regime, groundwater quality, protection and pollution and others.
In groundwater research we are cooperating with such companies as Latvia’s State Forests, Latvenergo, Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, Latvian Fund for Nature, Latvian Nature Conservation Agency, and others. Internationally we are cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency, Tallinn University of Technology, and Estonian Geological Survey.
Scientific equipment for groundwater research
- Picarro water and carbon stable isotope analysers including sample preparation equipment (Environment Dating Laboratory)
- Albillia FL24 automated field fluorimeter for groundwater follow tracing with fluorescent dyes
- Diver® system automated groundwater level and electrical conductivity probes
- WTW multimeter with electrodes for field measurement of water electrochemical parameters
- Peristaltic and submersible pumps for groundwater sampling in wells
- Ejkelkamp stand for measuring saturated hydraulic conductivity of sediment samples and doble-ring infiltration test unit for field measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil
- Hand operated instrumentation for installation of groundwater monitoring wells
- Apparatus for measuring the water retention curve of soil and sediment samples in the laboratory
- Groundwater Modeling System GMS for hydrogeological modeling
- Meter soil water content and potential probes with automated data loggers
Important publications
Retike, I., Bikše, J., Kalvāns, A., Dēliņa, A., Avotniece, Z., Zaadnoordijk, W. J., … Baikovs, A. (2022). Rescue of groundwater level time series: How to visually identify and treat errors. Journal of Hydrology, 605(December 2021).
Babre, A., Kalvāns, A., Avotniece, Z., Retiķe, I., Bikše, J., Jemeljanova, K. P. M., … Dēliņa, A. (2022). The use of predefined drought indices for the assessment of groundwater drought episodes in the Baltic States over the period 1989–2018. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 40(March), 101049.
Popovs, K., Kalvāns, A., Jemeljanova, M., Saks, T., Dēliņa, A., Bikše, J., … Retiķe, I. (2022). Bedrock surface topography of Latvia. Journal of Maps, 1–12.
Kalvāns, A., Popovs, K., Priede, A., Koit, O., Retiķe, I., Bikše, J., Dēliņa, A., Babre, A. 2021. Nitrate vulnerability of karst aquifers and associated groundwater‑dependent ecosystems in the Baltic region. Environmental Earth Sciences 80:628
Terasmaa J. et al. (2020) Joint Methodology for the Identification and Assessment of Groundwater Dependent Terrestrial Ecosystems in Estonia and Latvia. In: Negm A., Zelenakova M., Kubiak-Wójcicka K. (eds) Water Resources Quality and Management in Baltic Sea Countries. Springer Water. Springer, Cham.
Kalvāns, A., Dēliņa, A., Babre, A., Popovs. K. 2019. An insight into water stable isotope signatures in temperate catchment. Journal of Hydrology 582, 124442.
Ch. Gerber, R. Vaikmäe, W. Aeschbach, A. Babre, W. Jiang, M. Leuenberger, Z.-T. Lu, R. Mokrik, P. Müller, V. Raidla, T. Saks, N. H. Waber, Th. Weissbach, J. C. Zappala, R. Purtschert. 2017. Using 81Kr and Noble Gases to Characterize and Date Groundwater and Brines in the Baltic Artesian Basin on the One-Million-Year Timescale. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
Babre, A., Kalvāns, A., Popovs, K., Retiķe, I., Dēliņa, A., Vaikmäe, R., Martma, T. 2016. Pleistocene age paleo-groundwater inferred from water-stable isotope values in the central part of the Baltic Artesian Basin. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies. Available Online: 2016 04 May.
Valle Raidla, Zoltan Kern, Joonas Pärn, Alise Babre, Katrin Erg, Jüri Ivask, Andis Kalvāns, Balázs Kohán, Mati Lelgus, Tõnu Martma, Robert Mokrik, Konrāds Popovs, Rein Vaikmäe, A δ18O isoscape for the shallow groundwater in the Baltic Artesian Basin, Journal of Hydrology, Volume 542, 2016, Pages 254-267, ISSN 0022-1694.
Retiķe, I., Kalvāns, A., Popovs, K., Bikše, J., Babre, A., Dēliņa, A. 2016. Geochemical classification of groundwater using multivariate statistical analysis in Latvia. Hydrology Research, Available Online: 2016 Feb.
Popovs, K., Saks, T., Jātnieks, J. 2015. A comprehensive approach to the 3D geological modelling of sedimentary basins: example of Latvia, the central part of the Baltic Basin. Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences, 64(2), 173-188.
Virbulis, J., Bethers, U., Saks, T., Seņņikovs, J., Timuhins, A. 2013. Hydrogelogical model of the Baltic Artesian Basin. Hydrogeology Journal, Vol. 21, Issue 4, p. 845-862.
