A review on the effects of changes of land cover and land use on groundwater-level variations [지표피복 및 토지이용 변화에 따른 지하수 수위 변동 - 리뷰]

Abstract

Groundwater is not only valuable as resources, but it is also used as drinking water over the world. However, as the land cover changes rapidly due to population growth, there are inevitable changes in the water budget. In Korea, there has been a huge loss in natural land among OECD countries, but relatively little research has been executed for the relationship between surface changes and groundwater. In review, we discuss how the land surface changes affect on groundwater level. First, as the ground surface is made less permeable by economic growth, local recharge can be diminished so that regional recharge can affect on groundwater level. As a result, the peak flow decreases and the lag time increases in groundwater hydrograph as compared to that of stream. Second, when natural land converts to agricultural land and there are changes in vegetation by removing forests for development, the increase or decrease in groundwater level can be caused by changes in the amount of evapotranspiration. Finally, an artificial groundwater flow can be created if urban infrastructures are constructed below the surface due to regional development such as urbanization. Leakage water from this structure flows into the aquifer, but this may lead to groundwater table increase and contamination. These factors, increases in impervious cover, changes in agricultural land/forest areas and urban infrastructures, cause fluctuations in groundwater level. Therefore, for the preservation of groundwater, these factors should be identified in advance and prepared by constant monitoring. © 2020 The Geological Society of Korea. All rights reserved.