Earth Sciences
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Research is organized in the broad fields of Environmental Water & Science and Applied Geology. The main research areas are in Petroleum Geology, Economic Geology/ Exploration Geochemistry, Tectonic Evolution, Integrated Water Resource Management and Groundwater studies under the leadership of the UNESCO Chair.
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Climate change and its influence on the Karst groundwater recharge in the Jinci Spring Region, Northern China
(MDPI, 2017)Due to climate change and human activities over the last fifty years, the spring flow volume of karst groundwater has sharply diminished in China. Climate change is one of the critical factors that initiates a series of ... -
Effects of land use change on streamflow and stream water quality of a coastal catchment
(South African Water Research Commission, 2017)This study aimed to link land cover/use change to water quality in an important water supply coastal catchment. The approach followed a spatial and temporal analysis of historical catchment land use change to assess how ... -
Book review: Urban geology
(Springer Verlag, 2012) -
Emerging forms of social action in urban domestic water supply in South Africa and Zimbabwe
(Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2013)This paper compares and contrasts emerging forms of social action in urban domestic water supply in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Both countries represent transitional societies that are facing challenges of providing clean ... -
Conservation status of large branchiopods in the Western Cape, South Africa
(Springer Verlag, 2007)Temporary wetlands are an ecologically and economically important habitat in South Africa. They harbor large branchiopods, known to be flagship species of nonpermanent aquatic habitats, and sensitive to land use changes. ... -
Foreword to special section: groundwater in Africa
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2010) -
The role of ground water in Sub-Saharan Africa
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2010)Although water resources managers speak of a water crisis in Africa, the management of ground water has to date not featured strongly in national and regional African water agendas. Examination of the physical environment of ... -
Review: groundwater management and groundwater/surface-water interaction in the context of South African water policy
(Springer Verlag, 2011)Groundwater/surface-water interaction is receiv¬ing increasing focus in Africa due to its importance to ecologic systems and sustainability. In South Africa's 1998 National Water Act (NWA), water-use licenses, including ... -
A three-tier approach to protect groundwater resources in South Africa
(Water Research Commission, 1995)The quality of groundwater is affected by many activities occurring on the surface of the earth. A pro-active protection approach is required to avoid the costly and technology difficult exercise of groundwater remediation. ... -
Borehole dilution experiment in a Karoo aquifer in Bloemfontein
(Water Research Commission, 1997)This paper shows that a borehole dilution experiment using common salt is a useful technique for better understanding of some hydrogeological features of a fractured aquifer. A sense of such tracer experiments was performed ... -
Estimation of recharge using a revised CRD method
(Water Research Commission, 2001)The cumulative rainfall departure (CRD) method, based on the water-balance principle, is often used for mimicking of water level fluctuations. Because of its simplicity and minimal requirement of spatial data, the CRD ... -
Groundwater discharges to aquatic ecosystems associated with the Table Mountain Group (TMG) aquifer: a conceptual model
(Water Research Commission, 2008)This paper reports on a conceptual model that was developed to describe the different groundwater discharge ‘types’ from the Table Mountain Group (TMG) aquifer, that contributes to the different components of the flow ... -
Snow impact on groundwater recharge in Table Mountain Group aquifer systems with a case study of the Kommissiekraal River catchment South Africa
(Water Research Commission, 2005)Snowmelt in the mountainous areas of the Table Mountain Group (TMG) in South Africa is believed to be one of sources of groundwater recharge in some winter seasons. This paper provides a scientific assessment of snow ... -
Book review: urban geology
(Springer Verlag, 2012) -
A water balance approach to the sustainable management of groundwater in South Africa
(Water Research Commission, 2000)The water balance approach, based on the principles of conservation of mass, is applied to the issue of sustainable groundwater management in South Africa, incorporating the ethos of the National Water Act of 1998, ... -
Application of the rainfall infiltration breakthrough (RIB) model for groundwater recharge estimation in west coastal South Africa
(Water Research Commission, 2013)Recharge estimation in arid and semi-arid areas is very challenging. The chloride mass balance method applied in western South Africa fails to provide reliable recharge estimates near coastal areas. A relationship between ... -
A tensor approach to the estimation of hydraulic conductivities in Table Mountain Group aquifers of South Africa
(Water Research Commission, 2006)Based on the field measurements of the physical properties of fractured rocks, the anisotropic properties of hydraulic conductivity (HC) of the fractured rock aquifer can be assessed and presented using a tensor approach ... -
A hydrogeomorphological approach to quantification of groundwater discharge to streams in South Africa
(Water Research Commission, 2002)In South Africa, the flow requirements for maintaining the normal functioning of aquatic ecosystems is termed the “ecological reserve”, and these should be determined when a licence application for water allocation is ... -
Capture zone simulation for boreholes located in fractured dykes using the linesink concept
(Water Research Commission, 2002)Delineation of capture zones for groundwater source protection is normally performed by using numerical codes which are based on the porous medium flow equation. However, boreholes are often sited in or along permeable ...
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