Spatial and temporal characteristics of saline springs: Sea of Galilee, Israel

Spatial and temporal characteristics of the saline springs that emerge alon g the western shore of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) are analyzed. Thr ee groups of onshore springs (Tiberias, Fuliya, and Tabgha) and two groups of offshore springs (Barbutim and Maagan), contribute saline water to the l ake with concentrations in the range of 300 to 18,000 mgCl/L, depending on location and season. It is well accepted that water emerging from these spr ings is a mixture of two endmembers: deep-seated saline ground water and sh allow, fresh circulating ground water. Temporal trends of discharge rates a nd of chloride (representing the deep saline aquifer) and nitrate (represen ting the shallow fresh water aquifer) concentrations within each group of s prings are presented. Results show the proportions of the two water bodies while mixing are time dependent. Discharge and concentration peaks in Tabgh a springs precede those in Fuliya and Tiberias springs by approximately two months. An analytical solution shows that in Tabgha, variations of these p arameters are mainly controlled by recharge variations in the Galilee, and follow an exponential function. In Fuliya and Tiberias, variations of these parameters are mainly dependent on lake level, and follow a sine-cosine fu nction. The different patterns are attributed to different hydraulic proper ties of the discharge area.