Hydrodynamic and hydrochemical study of water in a karst aquifer-A case study in Houzhai karstic water system, Guizhou Province, China

In order to compare the characteristics and the functioning of the springs and water circulation in Houzhai karstic water system, twenty physical and chemical parameters in ten representative stations are considered all together to identify the main factors responsible for the diversity of hydrological and hydrochemical responses of the considered karst systems. Based on principal component analysis, the twenty variables were analyzed in ten representative stations from 1995 to 1996. The results show that the first two principal components carry the 89.3% information of the whole. The main controlling factor on the variation of hydrochemistry type in this karstic water system is the lithology the water flowing through. The secondary factor is hydrodynamic condition, especially the runoff depth of groundwater. The information of hydrogeochemistry has an important indicative significance on the analysis of the hydrodynamic characteristics. However, the principal component analysis coupling the hydrodynamic and hydrochemistry information provides a way to understand the hydrodynamic and hydrochemistry characteristics of karstic water system.