A hydrogeochemical and stable isotope study (2H and 18O) was carried out in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin in order to characterize available groundwater and to identify possible recharge mechanisms for the perched aquifers. Data were collected during seven field campaigns between 2013 and 2015 from a total of 24 shallow and deep groundwater hand-dug wells. In the investigated groundwaters, hydrogencarbonate is the dominating anion in both well types, whereas cations vary between calcium and magnesium in deep wells, and sodium and potassium in shallow wells. Groundwater chemistry is controlled by dissolution of carbonate minerals, silicate weathering and ion exchange. Stable isotopic composition suggests that deep groundwater is recharged by high-intensity/large rainfall events, whereas the shallow wells can even be recharged by less-intense/small rainfall events. Water in deep wells reflect a mixture of water influenced by evaporation during or before infiltration and water that infiltrated through fast preferential pathways, whereas shallow wells are strongly influenced by evaporation. The findings of this research contribute to improve the understanding of hydrogeochemistry, recharge paths and temporal variations of perched aquifers.
Keywords: Cuvelai-Etosha Basin; Namibia; groundwater; hydrogen-2; hydrogeochemistry; isotope hydrology; oxygen-18; perched aquifer.