ABSTRACT

Karst aquifers are characterised as a highly heterogeneous media which affects the behaviour of the groundwater outflow regime. The Blederija subthermal karst spring is located on the south-eastern part of the Mirocˇ mountains. Complex quantitative analysis has been carried out in order to obtain new insights into the hydraulic mechanism of the discharge regime. This is characterised by frequent mixing of a ’normal‘ and higher temperature waters. Binary karst hydrogeological system and the location of ponor zones causes a specific variation of the catchment area, which is reflected in the discharge regime properties of the karst aquifer. Two different approaches of types of hydrograph separation were applied in order to identify the interconnected flow system e.g. base flow and fast (direct) flow components. The first one was based on the discharge rate and second on the water temperature. Both analyses gave very similar results, and indicate a complex hydraulic mechanism, caused by a pressure pulse through the karst hydrogeological system.