Judit Mádl-Szőnyi

Eötvös Loránd University · Department of Physical and Applied Geology

In the original publication [...]

We present an analytical method that allows for the rapid measurement of uranium in water samples. For a 50 ml sample concentrations down to about 2 micro-g/l can be measured within an hour. There are no toxic chemicals used and the whole equipment is portable and can be powered by a 12 V battery. The preparation consists of adding 200 mg silica ge...

Heterogeneity and anisotropy of lithological units influences hydraulic conductivity on several scales. The purpose of this study is to develop a novel method supporting hydrostratigraphic classification by considering horizontal and vertical variations of sand content in relation with the paleo-depositional environment. The workflow was applied fo...

Climate change and increasing human impacts are more emphasised in recharge regions, where the main flow direction is downward, resulting in negative water balance. Two wetlands located in the recharge position of regional groundwater flow systems were investigated in the Nyírség region, Hungary, as pilot areas for representing wetlands in similar...

Biogenic or microbial methane has an increasing share in the global gas resource base, though its exploration still faces challenges and welcomes innovations. Critical elements of its migration and accumulation models are the groundwater flows which gather and transport the gas in aqueous solution, and the seal rocks or aquifers which lead groundwa...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiGSSxTIUPQ&t=1s Link of the EGU presentation

The so-called Green Transition EU strategy encourages oil businesses to move towards a circulareconomy and create green energy. The data already collected in the past during hydrocarbonexploration offer enormous possibilities for geothermal reutilization. Revealing this led to the jointproject with MOL Plc. to evaluate the geothermal potential for...

Hydrostratigraphic evaluation is an asset for the overall understanding of hydrogeological context, the buildup of reliable numerical models and making proper decisions related to regional groundwater issues. The fluvio-deltaic environment is one of the most complex to evaluate, due to the intense heterogeneity of sediments, induced by the rapid ch...

Hydrostratigraphic evaluation is an asset for the overall understanding of hydrogeological context, the buildup of reliable numerical models and making proper decisions related to regional groundwater issues. The fluvio-deltaic environment is one of the most complex to evaluate, due to the intense heterogeneity of sediments, induced by the rapid ch...

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is an increasingly popular technique; however, the significance of groundwater flow dynamics is rarely examined in detail regarding MAR systems. In general, a high hydraulic gradient is not favoured for MAR implementation, as it causes higher water loss and mixing of recharge water with native groundwater. However, du...

Consideration of regional groundwater flow in aquifer systems allows for solving groundwater issues on a larger scale than single aquifers and contributes to all practical aspects of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for water. The approach has been extended to a wide range of hydrogeological environments. However, it suffers from poorly const...

This review paper briefly summarizes the research results of the majority (∼70%) women team of the Hydrogeology Research Group of Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary, led by Judit Mádl-Szőnyi. The group had originally focused on basin-scale groundwater flow systems and the related processes and phenomena but extended its research activity to other ge...

Groundwater levels have declined significantly in the last decades in many parts of the world, due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. The study focuses on the long-term potential and environmental impacts of rooftop rainwater harvesting coupled with shallow well infiltration, which is a local scale inexpensive solution that could contr...

The so-called, Green Transition EU strategy motivates oil companies to turn towards a circular economy and the production of green energy. The existing dataset gained through hydrocarbon exploration and the infrastructure of abandoned or barren hydrocarbon wells provides huge potential for geothermal reutilization. The geothermal potential of...

Our recent knowledge about the role of different fluid driving forces in the response of groundwater flow systems to climate change is still limited. This current study aimed to evaluate possible spatial and temporal changes in complex, gravity- and overpressure-driven groundwater flow systems induced by climate change and look for general trends a...

Springs sensu stricto indicate the location at the land surface where groundwater leaves the lithosphere ending the underground course and discharges to the surface. Springs sensu lato are ecosystems fed by groundwater reaching the (near-)surface, therefore, these are considered groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs). Springs provide naturally acc...

The motivation for this topic stemmed from practical questions posed to the Regional Groundwater Flow Commission (RGFC) of the IAH regarding assessing transboundary aquifer systems. These questions focused on sedimentary basins which were considered aquifer systems even though the information on hydrogeological units and groundwater flow in the bas...

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) is an increasingly popular group of methods, used to balance water supply differences and to adapt to climate change. In most cases, high hydraulic gradient is not favored for MAR implementation, especially if the aim is to store water underground, because it causes higher water loss and mixing of recharge water with...

The Hungarian karst regions with diverse geologic settings and hydrogeologic characteristics are presented and discussed in a basin-scale groundwater flow framework which is the adaptation of groundwater flow systems to carbonate regions and, thus, a novel approach in karst hydrogeology studies. Accordingly, a solid but comprehensive overview of th...

In the Danube-Tisza Interfluve area, groundwater levels have declined significantly in the last decades, due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the potential of local, inexpensive solutions, such as rooftop rainwater harvesting that could contribute to easing the water shortage of the study area....

The undulation of topography and the groundwater table serves as a driving force of fluid flow not only in mountainous or volcanic regions but also in sedimentary basins. Since topographical variations existing everywhere in the continental lithosphere, the operation of regional-scale groundwater flow systems and their role in the formation of heat...

The green transition requires adapting the data and methods of the hydrocarbon industry for geothermal purposes and finding new resources in geofluids, like lithium. Moreover, the aligned research and exploration of groundwater, geothermal and hydrocarbon resources are also required for environmental reasons. We could reveal in the last decades th...

Springs are sources of freshwater supply. Furthermore, they can also deliver valuable insight into the hydrogeologic processes of a mountainous region, a natural conservation area or a remote study site with no wells. In order to assess the appearance, peculiarities, quality, stability, longevity and resilience of springs and related ecosystems, th...

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) interventions are usually designed for local water availability. However, regional hydrogeological conditions can be of major influence on the suitability and performance, depending on MAR type and size. Therefore, to facilitate site selection and suitable MAR scheme design and conditions, it is important to incorpora...

In the Danube-Tisza Interfluve area (Hungary), groundwater levels have declined significantly in the last decades, due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. In the past, several replenishment plans have been prepared, involving large, cross-regional technical investments, but they have not been implemented due to the lack of adequate fina...

The ‘Dynamic System Approach for Geofluids and their Resources’ was developed to harmonize research and the sustainable exploration of geofluids (e.g., groundwater, geothermal and hydrothermal fluids) and the related geo-resources (groundwater, geothermal energy and hydrothermal minerals). The conception is based on the basin-scale groundwater flow...

Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP), the largest national park of Canada, has unique and complex ecosystems that depend on specific water quantity and quality. We characterize groundwa�ters and surface waters in WBNP by determining their chemical compositions and water types, the dominant hydrochemical processes affecting their compositions, and thei...

Pannóniai delta és folyóvízi képződmények hidrosztratigráfiai egységei az Alföldön: szeizmikus geomorfológia és lyukgeofizikai adatok a hidrogeológiai modellezés szolgálatában

Salinization of groundwater has endangered e.g. drinking water supply, agricultural cultivation, groundwater-dependent ecosystems, geothermal energy supply, thermal and hydrocarbon well production to a rising degree. In order to investigate the problem of coupled topography- and salinity-driven groundwater flow on a basin-scale, a systematic simula...

The delineation of hydrostratigraphic units depends on the hydraulic conductivity of major rock bodies , which are a complex patchwork of sandstones embedded in muddy lithologies in a fluvio-deltaic system. Hydraulic conductivity primarily depends on the sand/shale ratio,the spatial distribution, both the lateral and vertical connectivity of sandst...

Fluid injection into overpressured regimes is only possible with an injection pressure higher than the aquifer pressure. The elevated aquifer pressure eventually prevents fluid inflow through reinjection. Elevated pressure (much higher than hydrostatic) in an aquifer under exploitation, however, can also evolve naturally due to overpressure dissipa...

Climate change, along with the rapid increase in population and mismanagement of water resources, resulted in a decline in the quality and quantity of groundwater worldwide. Balochistan, the largest and driest province of Pakistan, is located in the south western part of the country. This region is suffering from the declining water table, land sub...

A Duna-Tisza közi Homokhátság területén, számos helyen jelentősen csökkent a felszínalatti vízszint különböző emberi tevékenységek és a klímaváltozás hatására (pl. Major és Neppel 1988, Pálfai 1995, Ladányi et al. 2009, Kovács et al. 2017). A kutatás célja a települési tetővizek sekély kutakon keresztül történő felszín alá juttatási lehetőségének v...

The undulation of topography and the groundwater table serves as a driving force of fluid flow not only in mountainous or volcanic regions but also in sedimentary basins. Since topographical variations do exist at any part of the continental lithosphere, the existence of regional-scale groundwater flow systems and their role in the formation of hea...

Hydrostratigraphic divisions are based on the hydraulic conductivity of the rock bodies, which depends primarily on their extent, i.e. the thickness, the spatial distribution, and both the lateral and vertical connectivity of sand-rock bodies are embedded in various muddy lithologies. The purpose of this study is to determine the hydrostratigraphic...

The Danube-Tisza Interfluve is one of the largest areas covered by wind-blown sand in Hungary characterized by sand plains, dunes and deflationary depressions. Two major morphologic region types are the flat-bottomed valleys of the Danube and Tisza rivers and a central elevated ridge region. The ridge area is poor in surface waters. Previously many...

This study proposes a concept and presents a workflow to examine potential reasons for low injectivity of sandstone aquifers. Injection related problems are a major challenge for the sustainable utilization of geothermal waters. In order to completely understand and avoid the geothermal reinjection problems, potential problem sources acting on diff...

Almost 100% of worldwide geothermal development is related to convection dominated geothermal plays, such as volcanic, plutonic, and extensional domain types. In these geothermal systems, heat transport mechanisms are strongly controlled by subsurface fluid flow, which transfers heat and modifies the temperature distribution. On the other hand, con...

Since groundwater flow is the dominant mechanism for transporting mass and energy in sedimentary basins, knowledge of the dynamics of flow is a fundamental prerequisite to understand geologic processes, formation and exploration of geological resources. Sedimentary basins are subjected to several forces known to cause large-scale fluid migration su...

In the last decades, geologists recognized that the solid framework of the crust evolves through interactions with geologic fluids. Geofluids play an essential role in all geologic processes, such as the mobilization, transportation, and accumulation of matter and heat. Driving forces of regional fluid flow, like topography, tectonic compression, c...

The Balaton Highland region (Central Hungary, Europe) is a popular tourist destination with an outstanding ecological value of the Lake Balaton and the surrounding wetlands. Naturally discharging springs have provided high-quality water as a drinking water resource, and CO2-enriched springwater is consumed by the locals for medical purposes, as wel...

Regional groundwater flow (GWF) is driven mainly by the water table topography at least in the upper part of the continental basins. However, in deeper zones or in confined aquifers other driving forces can appear which influence or even dominate the flow system, such as the negative buoyancy force due to dissolved solid content and the positive bu...

Two-dimensional numerical simulations were carried out in order to elucidate the mechanism of the coupled fluid flow and heat transfer in synthetic and real groundwater flow (GWF) basins. Based on a theoretical concept, effects of geothermal gradient, regional relief, model depth and anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity were investigated on groundw...

In the Duna-Tisza Interfluve area, groundwater levels have declined significantly in the last decades, due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. The aim of this study is to demonstrate a local scale solution by experimental research in Kerekegyháza, which could contribute to easing the water shortage of the area. Rooftop rainwater harvest...

This study focuses on the stratigraphic architecture of deltaic and fluvial sand lithologies within the Late Neogene Pannonian basin-fill succession in Hungary, identified from seismic and well data, in order to develop a quantitative hydrostratigraphic classification of the sequence. Hydrostratigraphic divisions are based on the hydraulic conducti...

Fluid, as an elemental component of a geothermal system, transports and distributes underground heat according to the topographic driving force within a groundwater basin. As the water table configuration has diverse and distinct forms in real-life basins, asymmetric hydraulic head variation may occur from basin to basin in accordance with real phy...

In the Duna-Tisza Interfluve area, groundwater levels have declined significantly in the last decades, due to anthropogenic activities (e.g. water abstraction, canalization, and forestation) and climate change. In the past, several replenishment plans have been prepared, involving large, cross-regional technical investments, but have not been imple...

In the Duna-Tisza Interfluve area, groundwater levels have declined significantly in the last decades, due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. The aim of this study is to demonstrate a local scale solution by experimental research, which could contribute to ease the water shortage of the area. A field experiment was set up leading rainw...

Study region Buda Thermal Karst system, Hungary. Study focus The pilot area has high geothermal potential characterized by prominent thermal anomalies, such as thermal springs and spas which tap the Triassic carbonate aquifers. Therefore, numerical simulations were carried out to examine the temperature field and flow pattern considering three suc...

Attachment of microorganisms to natural or artificial surfaces and the development of biofilms are complex processes which can be influenced by several factors. Nevertheless, our knowledge on biofilm formation in karstic environment is quite incomplete. The present study aimed to examine biofilm development for a year under controlled conditions in...

Extensional domain type geothermal plays, as fertile targets for future resource development, consist of an orogen and an adjoining sedimentary basin of asymmetric physiographic and geologic setting. Preliminary geothermal potential, i.e. prospective geothermal regions, basin-scale flow patterns, heat transfer processes, temperature distribution an...

The aim of our research is to offer a simple and cost-effective solution to the water management problems of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve, Hungary. In this area, groundwater levels have declined significantly in the last decades, due to climate change and anthropogenic activities. In the past, several replenishment plans have been made, involving la...

A vízpótlás régóta használt eljárás a vízgazdálkodásban Magyarországon és nemzetközi szinten egyaránt. Ugyanakkor, a célzott felszín alatti vízutánpótlás (Managed Aquifer Recharge-MAR) mint fogalom, viszonylag fiatal. Definíció szerint a víztartók tudatos vízutánpótlását jelenti, későbbi vízkivétel vagy környezeti haszon elérése céljából. MAR rends...

Karst aquifers are indispensable, yet vulnerable, resources; therefore, they require a comprehensive protection strategy. Since springs are the terminal points of the karst flow systems, knowledge of their distribution is a key element for the better understanding of groundwater flow, availability and vulnerability. The present study aims to introd...

On geological time scale, different processes take place during the formation of the sedimentary basins in interaction with fluids. Regional groundwater flow has the ability to carry organic matter and several chemical substances on a basin scale, it is also responsible for their areas of accumulation. Thus, the groundwater flow has a direct effect...

The Danube-Tisza Interfluve is one of the largest areas covered by wind-blown sand in Hungary. Two major morphologic region types are the flat-bottomed valleys of the Danube and Tisza rivers and a central elevated ridge region, characterized by sand plains, dunes and deflationary depressions. The area is poor in surface waters, mainly artificial ch...

During the evolutionary stages of sedimentary basins, different processes are active. Secondary migration means the movement from the source area to the trap and it has most likely the tendency to move along with water. Thus, the secondary migration of petroleum is directly affected by the different driving forces which also influence the ambient g...

Groundwater is depleting across the globe. According to NASA, 33% of the world’s major basins are overexploited. This water shortage could be alleviated by using Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) techniques. MAR is defined by Gale, 2005 as “Intentional storage and treatment of water in aquifers”. The three most common methods of MAR are a) direct infi...

This study offers a reinterpretation of archive aquifer tests, predominantly on the basis of recovery data, from an original datasheet of thermal water wells located in carbonate and sandstone aquifer units in the vicinity of Budapest, Hungary. The study compares the hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (Ss) values derived in the first i...

Sedimentary basins depending on their temperature conditions are targets for installation of geothermal power plants and for direct-use of thermal water. The necessary elements of a fluid–based geothermal systems are the reservoir with sufficient hydraulic parameters, the favourable quantity of heat and the production fluids which can transport hea...

Numerical model calculations were carried out in order to investigate the relevance of the interaction of water table configuration and heat transfer as driving forces of regional groundwater flow (Szijártó et al., 2019). Effect of the growing geothermal gradient, regional relief, model depth and anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity were examined o...

In the most sedimentary basins, like in the Pannonian Basin the groundwater flow is primarily driven by the altitude differences of the water table, especially in the upper approx. 1 km thick part of the crust. Beyond that, the flow is also influenced by other processes, e.g. buoyancy force due to heterogeneous temperature and/or solute concentrati...

Groundwater flow mobilises, transports and accumulates matter and heat, thus the evaluation of recent fluid flow systems can contribute to hydrocarbon and geothermal exploration, among others (Tóth, 1999). The main focus of our research was the mapping of hydraulically favourable places for hydrocarbon trapping and preservation in an Eastern Hungar...

Naturally discharging springs and water wells have been providing high-quality water as a local drinking water resource in the Bakony Mts.-Balaton Highland area (Central Hungary, Europe) for centuries. On the other hand, the Balaton Highland-Lake Balaton region is a popular tourist destination with an outstanding ecological value of the Lake Balato...

Based on field observations and previous numerical simulations, combined effect of external forces (e.g. water table elevation) and buoyancy forces can cause a complex groundwater flow pattern characterized by mixed thermal convection, not only in siliciclastic sedimentary basins, but also in adjoining karstified deep carbonates. The interaction of...

As conventional methods, spring hydroand physico-chemographs are widely applied. With the help of these graphs, the local dynamics and heterogeneity of the aquifer can be investigated on catchment and aquifer scale. In turn, springs are the natural discharge points of flow systems, they can reflect the subsurface flow and temperature conditions, an...

Groundwater flow mobilises, transports and accumulates hydrocarbons, thus the evaluation of recent fluid flow systems contributes to the mapping of hydraulically favourable places for hydrocarbon trapping and preservation. The aim of our research was (i) to understand the recent fluid flow systems and regional pressure field in the broader area of...

The Gömör-Torna Karst (known also as Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst) is an unconfined transboundary aquifer located on the border of Hungary and Slovakia. Thanks to its complex natural heritage, which includes surface karst forms, caves and sinkholes, the region is under the protection of the Aggtelek National Park and the Slovak Karst National Pa...

The Gömör-Torna Karst (known also as Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst) is an unconfined transboundary aquifer located on the border of Hungary and Slovakia. Thanks to its complex natural heritage, which includes surface karst forms, caves and sinkholes, the region is under the protection of the Aggtelek National Park and the Slovak Karst National Pa...

Historically, physical and biochemical similarities among geofluids (eg shallow groundwater, geothermal fluids, hydrothermal mineral-rich fluids) have not been treated under a common research sphere. Also, little knowledge is available regarding geofluid interactions and a common legislative framework for their management and use does not exist in...

Karst hydrogeology, hydraulic continuity, regional groundwater flow, basin hydraulics The hydrogeology of thick and deep carbonate regions is challenging not only theoretically but also from a practical point of view. Well-established basic concepts are needed to interpret basin-scale hydrogeology, including thick carbonate systems, in a coherent w...

Managed Aquifer Recharge is an evolving technique worldwide to sustain groundwater level and preserve groundwater resources in the long term between changing climatic conditions. The web-based global inventory of managed aquifer recharge is a remarkable initiation (Stefan & Ansems, 2017) and it displays more than 1200 MAR sites from all over the wo...

The hydrogeological conditions of Hungary would be suitable for the more enhanced application of MAR systems for water management purposes. Recently there are two classical examples (aside from frequent IBF sites) of infiltration ponds for drinking water supply in Borsodszirák (Mikita and Kovács 2014) and in the area of Bátonyterenye Waterwork. The...

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and coccus-shaped bacterium, designated strain FeSDHB5-19T, was isolated from a biofilm sample collected from a radioactive thermal spring (Budapest, Hungary), after exposure to 5 kGy gamma radiation. A polyphasic approach was used to study the taxonomic properties of strain FeSDHB5-19T, which had highest...

It is about thermal springs and their precipitates as the manifestation of the interaction of geofluid systems.

The study firstly displays the results of a theoretical, basin-scale two-dimensional numerical investigation of buoyancy-driven free thermal convection and gravity-driven forced convection in order to understand deep groundwater flow patterns and the occasion of measured temperature anomalies. Several model scenarios were investigated within a wide...

Although hydrological observations over the past several decades have provided ample evidence that water resources can be strongly affected by climate change (Bates et al., 2008), our present understanding of how these predicted alterations impact subsurface water resources and flow systems, and our knowledge about the dynamic relationship between...

Two-dimensional numerical investigation has been accomplished in order to investigate how the solute concentration influences the topography-driven groundwater flow along a section from Buda Thermal Karst to Gödöll˝ o Hills in Hungary (Fodor 2011). First, an extensive numerical testing has been carried out to validate the applicability of the finit...

Naturally discharging springs have provided high-quality water as a local drinking water resource in the Bakony-Balaton Highland area (Central Hungary, Europe) for centuries. On the other hand, the Balaton Highland-Lake Balaton region is a popular tourist destination with an outstanding ecological value of the Lake Balaton and the surrounding wetla...

The formation and evolution (and so the age) of biogeochemical precipitate and calcite of thermal springs are difficult to study in their natural environment and in laboratory. In situ experiments are useful tools to better understand the physicochemical circumstances, growth and the role of microbes in mineral formation. A 12-week-long in situ exp...

Groundwater flow mobilises, transports and accumulates hydrocarbons, thus the evaluation of recent fluid flow systems contributes to the mapping of hydraulically favourable places for hydrocarbon trapping and preservation. The aim of our research was (i) to understand the recent fluid flow systems and regional pressure field in the broader area of...

A vízpótlás régóta használt eljárás a vízgazdálkodásban itthon és nemzetközileg egyaránt. Ugyanakkor, a célzott felszínalatti vízutánpótlás (Managed Aquifer Recharge – MAR) mint fogalom, viszonylag fiatal (Dillon et al. 2018). Definíció szerint a víztartók tudatos utánpótlását jelenti, későbbi vízkivétel vagy környezeti haszon elérése céljából (NRM...

The elevated radioactivity of the thermal waters of Buda Thermal Karst (BTK), Hungary is known and studied since the beginning of the 20th century. In the recent studies, the anomalous 222Rn/226Ra ratios have drawn the attention to the existence of local 222Rn source. Biogeochemical precipitates (i.e. biofilms) in spring caves were found to have hi...

The thermal waters of Gellért Hill discharge area of the Buda Thermal Karst System (Hungary) are characterized by high (up to 1000 Bq/L) 222 Rn-activity due to the radium-accumulating biogeochemical layers. Samples were taken from these ferruginous and calcareous layers developed on spring cave walls and water surface. Accumulation of potentially t...

The theoretical examination of the combined effect of water table configuration and heat transfer is relevant to improve understanding of deep groundwater systems, not only in siliciclastic sedimentary basins, but also in fractured rocks or karstified carbonates. Numerical model calculations have been carried out to investigate the interaction of t...

On the basis of earlier conceptions, water table variation was suggested as the main driving force of regional groundwater motion. Since that time it has been perceived, that furteher driving forces (e.g. density change by temperature differences, etc.) can induce groundwater flow. Foremost, Lapwood [1] proved analytically the onset of free thermal...

Interactions of basin-scale topography-driven groundwater flow and free thermal convection were examined by two-dimensional theoretical numerical model simulations for a homogeneous unit basin. The continuity equations for flow with temperature-dependent water density and thermal transport were solved to handle the problem. The simulations showed t...