Karst springs reveal impact of climate change on European groundwater resources
Groundwater resources in Europe are studied by comparing models of groundwater recharge with actual spring discharge in karst areas. Karst systems react quickly to climate changes, making them good indicators of global change impacts on groundwater. Two regional recharge models for Europe were compared to spring discharge data from over 100 monitored karst systems. The study aimed to identify changes in recharge processes due to climate or land use changes. The results help understand how climate and land use affect groundwater recharge in different regions of Europe.