Relationship between the hydrodynamic response and the geometrical and topological properties of the karst conduit network

<p>In karst catchments, groundwater is generally drained from recharge zones towards main outlets (springs). Karst systems develop mainly in limestone and have three different porosities which are the result of sedimentation, diagenesis, tectonics but also dissolution that generate the conduits.  Continuous monitoring at high temporal resolutions is largely used to characterize the hydrodynamic behavior and variability of karst systems hydrological functioning Hydrologic models are used in order to better asses the functioning of karst systems but can also help identifying the impact of global change on water resources. Though these models require an adequate representation of main heterogeneities and processes, the heterogeneity of karst systems is often poorly characterized by available data. For these reasons, most of hydrological models considered for the understanding of karst systems hydrodynamic are lumped parameters models. In this study, we simulate precipitation-discharge relationship as a function of different karst geometries and topologies using two dimensional distributed models. We then investigate the relationship between the hydrodynamic response (e.g. flow rate at discharge point) and topology of the karst conduit network. Lumped approaches are later on compared to distributed models in term of predicting hydrodynamic response to precipitation.</p>