A Review on the Research Advances in Groundwater–Surface Water Interaction with an Overview of the Phenomenon

Abstract

Groundwater and surface water, though thought to be different entities in the past, are connected throughout the different landforms of the world. Despite being studied for quite some time, the interaction between groundwater and surface water (GW–SW) has received attention recently because of the heavy exploitation of both of these resources. This interaction is responsible for a phenomenon like contaminant transport, and understanding it helps to estimate the effects of climate change, land use on chemical behavior, and the nature of water. Hence, knowledge of GW–SW interactions is required for hydrologists to optimize resources and analyze the related processes. In this review article, different aspects of the interaction are discussed. Starting from the basics of the phenomenon, this work highlights the importance of GW–SW interactions in the hydrological cycle. Different mechanisms of GW–SW interactions are briefly examined to describe the phenomenon. The scales of interaction are also elucidated where the classification is addressed along with a brief introduction to the large scale and sediment reach scales. The study then moves on to the investigation methodologies used for the process of SW–GW interaction and their classifications based on whether they are field methods or modeling techniques. Various literature is then explored in terms of research approaches. Finally, we highlight the applicability of the methods for different scenarios. This work is aimed to summarize advances made in the field, finding research gaps and suggest the way forward, which would be helpful for hydrologists, policymakers and practicing engineers for planning water resources development and management.