Spatial assessment of probable recharge areas - investigating the hydrogeological controls of an active deep-seated gravitational slope deformation

Continuous and slow-moving deep-seated landslides entail challenges for the effective planning of mitigation strategies aiming at the reduction of landslide movements. Given that the activity of most of these landslides is governed by pore pressure variations within the shear zone, profound knowledge about their hydrogeological control is required. In this context, the present study presents a new approach for the spatial assessment of probable recharge areas to better understand a slope's hydrogeological system. The highly automated geo-statistical approach derives recharge probability maps of groundwater based on stable isotope monitoring and a digital elevation model (DEM). By monitoring stable isotopes in both groundwater and precipitation, mean elevations of recharge areas can be determined and further constrained in space with the help of the DEM. The approach was applied to the Vogelsberg landslide, an active slab of a deep-seated gravitational slope deformation (DSGSD) in the Watten valley (Tyrol, Austria). Resulting recharge probability maps indicate that shallow groundwater emerging at springs on the landslide recharges between 1000 and 1650 m a.s.l. In contrast, groundwater encountered in wells up to 49 m below the landslide's surface indicates a mean recharge elevation of up to 2200 m a.s.l. matching the highest parts of the catchment. Further inferred proxies, including flow path length, estimated recharge area sizes, and mean transit times of groundwater, resulted in a profound understanding of the hydrogeological driver of the landslide. It is shown that the new approach can provide valuable insights into the spatial pattern of probable recharge areas where mitigation measures aiming at reducing groundwater recharge could be most effective.

Automated summary

This study introduces a new approach for spatial assessment of probable recharge areas using stable isotope monitoring and a digital elevation model (DEM) to better understand a slope's hydrogeological system. Results from the Vogelsberg landslide in Austria show that shallow groundwater emerges at springs between 1000 and 1650 meters above sea level, while groundwater encountered in wells up to 49 meters below the landslide surface indicates a mean recharge elevation of up to 2200 meters above sea level.