06-12, 16:00–16:30 (Europe/Rome), Room R3
As part of a complex geological-hydrogeological survey, the karst system in Budapest and its surroundings has been investigated including its hydrogeochemical and isotopic characterisation. Additionally, the aim of this work was to support the 3D hydrodynamic flow and heat transport modelling by interpreted hydrogeochemical data which could be used for the verification of the models.
This karst system is characterised by the presence of different flow systems, from local to regional and with hypogenic karst developments shaped by discharging thermal karst waters. Based on major chemical parameters and outflowing water temperature we could distinguish two main clusters. Wells and springs mainly west of the Danube (Western group), contain mainly CaMgHCO3 type waters, with higher sulphate concentrations in the south. Wells and springs along the Danube and to the east (Eastern group), have higher water temperatures and TDS, and in some cases higher sodium and chloride concentrations, which show the presence of regional flow systems. The Western group could be further divided into 4, while the Eastern group into 6 subclusters.
Based on stable oxygen and hydrogen isotope data the karst water is mainly of meteoritic origin, although a very small brackish or seawater component cannot be excluded. Based on radiocarbon data the residence times of these karst waters are at least 20 to 30 ka. The thermal component is of Pleistocene origin, while the cold karst waters infiltrated during the Holocene. Some of the springs and wells contain detectable tritium, showing that these waters contain a modern precipitation component detected in the cold karst waters and in the discharge zones.
Analysis of groundwater samples from a recently finished campaign including a wide range of stable and natural radioactive isotopes will contribute to a better characterization of these karst waters enabling a better understanding of their mixing in the discharge zones.
Teodóra has a PhD on flow systems and water-rock interaction from the Eötvös Loránd University (2006). Prior to working at the Geological Institute of Hungary from 1993, Teodóra studied the detection of heavy metals in soils and organic samples at the University of Amsterdam. She became Head of the Hydrogeology Department in 2007 and subsequently at the Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary, the Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary, and recently at the Geological Survey of the Supervisory Authority of Regulatory Affairs. She is an invited lecturer in hydrogeochemistry at the University of Miskolc. She has more than 60 peer reviewed publications and 150 internal reports.
Her main research areas are groundwater surveys and hydrogeochemical evaluation, particularly arsenic, water-rock interaction, and hydrogeological modelling of flow systems, including stable and radioactive isotopes. She was the hydrogeochemical expert for background values, threshold values and evaluation of chemical status of groundwater bodies of Hungary for all three WFD River Basin Management Plans. For the past decade she focused on joint surveys of transboundary aquifers, on thermal-water geothermal energy resource evaluation and management and on lithium resource research.
She is a member of the IAH Council since 2012, being IAH president since 2024. She is active in the International Association of Geochemistry, is national representative for Hungary in the EuroGeoSurveys Water Resources Expert Group, member of the Hydrogeological Subcommittee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences since 2012 and was hydrogeology expert of the IGCP Scientific Board between 2017-2020.