Drainage structures and transit-time distributions in conduit-dominated and fissured karst aquifer systems

Karst aquifers are important groundwater resources. Solutionally-enlarged conduits embedded in a fissured rock matrix result in a highly heterogeneous underground drainage pattern that makes karst aquifers difficult to characterize. This thesis emphasizes the identification of drainage structures and the quantification of related transit-time distributions of diverse karst aquifer systems. Applied methods include artificial tracer tests, natural tracer analysis, and discharge analysis.