THE YARKON-TANINIM GROUNDWATER BASIN, ISRAEL HYDROGEOLOGY - CASE-STUDY AND CRITICAL-REVIEW

The late Albian-Turonian Judea Group carbonate aquifer is one of the m ost important resources of fresh groundwater in the northern Negev and in the central part of Israel. Over three decades ago, various hydrol ogical, hydrochemical, hydrometeorological and geological aspects of t his aquifer were thoroughly investigated and served to build up the pr ofessional background and data base for the management of this resourc e. Notwithstanding the accumulating structural, hydrogeological and hy drochemical evidence, the conceptual hydrogeological model of the Yark on-Taninim basin (which constitutes the western part of the Judea Grou p aquifer) has neither been questioned nor updated. Therefore, the exi sting and accepted model of this basin should in the best case only de pict general features and trends. The present review critically examin es the main hitherto accepted hydrogeological conventions, points out puzzling and contradictory phenomena and emphasizes questionable issue s. Although the present review deals with problems related to a specif ic groundwater basin, the methods and effort for breaking long-establi shed conventions may serve as an example for similar situations, in ot her places, in which water resources are managed according to long-est ablished concepts and traditions without being periodically revised an d reassessed in view of accumulating knowledge.