Groundwater temperature and electrical conductivity as tools to characterize flow patterns in carbonate aquifers: The Sierra de las Nieves karst aquifer, southern SpainLa température et la conductivité électrique de l’eau souterraine en tant qu’outils de caractérisation des types d’écoulement dans des aquifères carbonatés: L’aquifère karstique de la Sierra de la Nieves, du Sud de l’EspagneTemperatura del agua subterránea y conductividad eléctrica como herramientas para caracterizar flujos de agua en acuíferos carbonatados: el acuífero kárstico de la Sierra de las Nieves, sur de España用地下水温度和电导率描述碳酸盐岩含水层中的径流模式: 以西班牙南部Sierra de las Nieves岩溶含水层为例Temperatura e condutividade eléctrica da água subterrânea como ferramentas para caracterizar o padrão de escoamento em aquíferos carbonatados: O caso do aquífero cársico de Sierra de las Nieves, sul de Espanha

In carbonate massifs, flow patterns are conditioned by karstification processes which develop a conduit network and preserve low permeability microfractured blocks. The Sierra de las Nieves karst massif (southern Spain) is subjected to a given climatic and geological context, and thus it is possible to analyse the spatial and temporal variability of the water temperature and electrical conductivity at its main karst outlets, which display different responses to rainfall episodes. In this experimental field area, conduit flow and diffuse flow drainage patterns have been distinguished by combining groundwater temperature and electrical conductivity data. Both parameters show large variations in water coming from conduit flow systems and low variations in water drained by springs draining diffuse flow systems. However, groundwater temperature displays the smallest variations, which seems to indicate that this parameter is less sensitive as regards characterising the degree of karstification, which is a key question in characterising the aquifer functioning.