Isotopes in detecting the origin of water and in quantifying groundwater inflow rates in an alarmingly growing lake, Ethiopia.

Lake Beseka, located within Ethiopia's Awash Basin, has expanded from 2 km2 to 50 km2 over the last 60 years

• From: Department for International Development
• Published: 1 December 2019

• Country: Ethiopia
• Document Type: Journal Article
• Theme: Water and Sanitation
• Authors: Kebede, S, Zewdu, S

Abstract

Lake Beseka, located within Ethiopia’s Awash Basin, has expanded from 2 km2 to 50 km2 over the last 60 years, causing serious engineering and socio-economic challenge (inundation of urban utilities, irrigation farms, railways and roads; ecological changes in the lake; and threatening water salinization for water users downstream). This study used Dual Radon (222Rn) and δ18O-δ2H isotopes to (a) detect the origin of water, (b) pinpoint groundwater inflow zones and (c) determine rates of groundwater inflows in an expanding lake in central Ethiopia.

This work is part of the REACH ‘Improving Water Security for the Poor’ programme

Citation

Kebede, S. and Zewdu, S. (2019). Use of 222Rn and δ18O-δ2H Isotopes in detecting the origin of water and in quantifying groundwater inflow rates in an alarmingly growing lake, Ethiopia. Water MDPI: 11, 2591; doi:10.3390/w11122591.

Link

Isotopes in detecting the origin of water and in quantifying groundwater inflow rates in an alarmingly growing lake, Ethiopia

Published 1 December 2019