English

English

One of most important ground resources in Latvia is clean drinking water. The knowledge about the groundwater dynamics is not perfect and there are risks that because of unreasoned exploitation of ground water resources their value will diminish. There are several places in Latvia where substantial groundwater quality reduction has been observed due to human activities, for example intrusions of sea water in Liepaja area; salty deeper groundwater in the area of Riga; dispersed nitrate pollution in Zemgale. Additionally, the influence of modern climate changes on the groundwater especially shallow groundwater has received very little attention in Latvia and elsewhere. Within the project an interdisciplinary science-working group will be established for complex hidrogeologycal investigations based on modelling instruments. In the working group new and experienced scientists in the fields of geology, chemistry, mathematical modelling, physics and environmental engineering will be involved. An integrated system of models encompassing all the territory and full thickness of sedimentary rocks in Latvia will be built. The models system will be used as a platform for addressing scientific problems such as:

• large-scale groundwater flow in Baltic Artesian Basin and impact of human activities on it; 

• the impact of climatic and geological factors on the groundwater low after the ice age;

• the effects of climate changes on shallow groundwater and interaction of hydrographical network and groundwater;

• new programming approaches for groundwater modelling. 

The project is implemented by the University of Latvia and the Latvian Agricultural University.  Our slides from the V1 modelling system presentation in November 2011 and other occasions, are collected here. Project details: