Topic: Environment and hazard mitigation

Influence of Detail Geological Parameters to Variation of

Groundwater Flow Pattern and Spring Discharges
Case Study: East part of Mt. Ciremai,
Kabupaten Kuningan, West Java
Deny Juanda P.
* Department of Geology, Institut Teknologi Bandung,
denyjp@bdg.centrin.net.id

D. Erwin Irawan
** Department of Geological Engineering, Institut Teknologi dan Sains Bandung,
r-win@centrin.net.id

Abstract

The decreasing spring discharge has been considered as geological hazards. Many governmental and non
gevermental elements has been issuing the mitigation of this hazard. A case study has been carried out on east
slope of Mt. Ciremai. It is a strato-type volcano with elevation of 3072 masl, at Kabupaten Kuningan, West Java
Province.

This research use 2 methods, described as follows: 1). Surface mapping of volcanic aquifer system on 1 : 25.000
map scale. 2). Hydrodynamic analysis, consists of regional flow analysis at Linggarjati and Cibulan spring area;
and detail flow at Cibulan spring area.

Fracture zone controls the high discharge of springs in volcanic terrain. There are 2 genetics of fractures:
1). Large conduits in between large boulder in Laharic breccia deposits; 2). Cooling joints control the high
spring discharge.

The change of rock distribution can form a slope break in elevation range of 500 - 650 masl. The slope break
controls the hydrodynamic of groundwater. Therefore the largest occur at elevation range of 500 – 650 masl. The
volcanic deposit distribution forms morphological feature of ridges that also functions as groundwater flow path.
Rock distribution controls the groundwater movement. The radial distribution of volcanic deposit controls the
radial pattern of groundwater flow.

Keywords: geological parameter, volcanic aquifer systems, macro fracture system, groundwater flow pattern

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 Topic: Environment and hazard mitigation

1. INTRODUCTION

Due to the vast growth of population and industry, the groundwater resources has been decreasing
rapidly. The decreasing spring discharge has been considered as geological hazards. Many
governmental and non gevermental elements has been issuing the mitigation of this hazard.
Concerning the spring management issues, identifying the geological control should be the first step in
order to determine the groundwater flow system. According to Mandel (1981)1, volcanic aquifer
system shows a distinct aquifer system, which is complicated by the rapid changing of the deposit. The
pyroclastic and lava material are interchanging in close distance.

Some previous research has been done in identifying the recharge-discharge system on volcanic
aquifer system, as follows: Asseggaf and Puradimaja (1998)2; Irawan et.al (2000)3, Irawan and
Puradimaja (2002)4. All the research were using physical-chemical properties analysis, combined with
surface and subsurface geological observations. The general result is that the groundwater flow in
volcanic area is controlled by the distribution of volcanic aquifer.

A case study has been carried out on east slope of Mt. Ciremai. It is a strato-type volcano with
elevation of 3072 masl, situated 20 km south of Cirebon, Kecamatan Cilimus – Jalaksana, Kabupaten
Kuningan, West Java Province (Figure 1). Its diameter from the peak to the foot slope is about 10 km.
The location was selected because of the large amount of groundwater which are forming spring belt
with no less than 300 springs; discharged over 1500 l/sec of water (IWACO-WASECO, 19895). The
scientific interest is to determine the geological control to groundwater flow and spring discharge.

Skala 1 : 1.500.000

A B

C D

Daerah penelitian

Figure 1 Location of study area

2. THE METHODS

This research uses 2 methods, described as follows:

(1). Surface mapping of volcanic aquifer system on 1 : 25.000 map scale. This method was carried
out in order to recognize the geometry of the aquifer and the hydraulic properties of soil
(unconfined aquifer) from 10 field permeability measurements. The observations were taken on
volcanic rock exposures and spring locations.

(2). Hydrodynamic analysis. This method is done in order to recognize the groundwater flow system.
The hydrodynamic analysis consists of 2 measurements:
a. Regional flow has been done at Linggarjati area and Cibulan area.
b. Detail flow has been done at Cibulan spring area.

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 Topic: Environment and hazard mitigation

3. HYDROGEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

3.1 The spring and aquifer zonation

All of the observed-aquifer is unconfined aquifer. Based on the elevation, the springs at East slope of
Mt. Ciremai (Cilimus-Jalaksana area) can be divided into 3 zones: Zone 1 100-250 masl; Zone 2 250-
650 masl; and Zone 3 650-1250 masl. Zone 2 has the largest spring occurences. The upper slope zone,
above 1250 masl, there are no spring that can be identified. This zone is labeled as Zone 4 No spring
zone. Each zones can be grouped based on the aquifers system (Figure 1):

 Zone 1 and Zone 2 (100-650 masl). The zone consist of Laharic breccia deposits. The aquifer
system is composed of small to large andecite to dacite boulders with large conduits in between.
The conduits set up a good permeability in form of fracture system. The aquifer discharged
fracture spring with total observed spring discharge of 1063 l/sec. The estimated thickness of the
Laharic breccia layers is more than 100 m.

 Zone 3 Lava flows fracture aquifer system (650-1250 masl). The aquifer system discharges
fracture spring with total observed spring discharge of 80 l/sec

 Zone 4 No spring zone (1250 – 3100 masl). The elevation above 1250 masl is a no spring zone.
The groundwater emerges only in form of seepages.

The slope’s angle changes from peak to slope, 19 0 - 40 at elevation range of 500 – 650 masl. The
change of slope’s angle forms slope break, which also can control the hydrodynamics of groundwater.
As a result, the largest spring emergence occurs at elevation range of 500 – 650 masl.

The thickness of the 3 aquifer systems can not be determined, because there are not any subsurface
data. The main source of data, IWACO-WASECO, 19896, has many data located at the footslopes,
only at Laharic breccia distribution area).

3.2 Geological control on spring

All fracture system form springs with large discharge, 10 l/sec to nearly 1000 l/sec. With such large
discharge, it has very high energy that impossible for a porous aquifer system to be kept intact. From
the observations, it can be identified only one spring type, fracture spring. The genetic of the fracture
can be grouped in to 2 types:

1. Fracture on lava flow

The fractures are made from cooling joints. The cooling joints forms narrow openings in rock,
however, the frequencies of the joints is very high. The high conduits can transmit a
considerable amount of water. The genetic of the fracture is shown on Figure 3.
2. Fracture on laharic breccia
The fracture are made from large conduits that forming between large boulders. The other
fractures is also formed by the erosional surface between laharic breccia layes, as shown on
Figure 4.

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 Topic: Environment and hazard mitigation

Pyroclastic fall Pyroclastic flows Lava flows Laharic deposit

Pyroclastic flows

Pyroclastic fall

Pyroclastic flows
Lava flows
Laharic deposit

Figure 1 Volcanic deposit distribution. Laharic breccia deposit is deposited at the lowest elevation (100 - 650 masl). At the upper part,
series of lava flow are deposited at elevation range of 650 – 1250 masl. Next , series of pyroclastic (flow and fall) is deposited, at elevation of
1250 – 3100 masl. The changing of rock type, from lava flows to pyroclastic breccia, forms a slope break. The slope is changing from 190 to 40
at the elevation range of 500 – 650 masl.

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 Topic: Environment and hazard mitigation

Figure 3 Fractures on lava flows and laharic breccia. There are 2 spring systems at this location.
The upper spring occurs in lava flows aquifer. The spring emerges from fractures from cooling joints.
The lower spring occurs in laharic breccia, emerges from large conduits between large boulders.

Figure 4 Fractures on laharic breccia. The laharic breccia layer form thick layer which is consist of at
least 4 layers. The spring emerge at the erosional surface in between 2 layers of laharic breccia.

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 Topic: Environment and hazard mitigation

3.3 Field permeability test

From field permeability test (Chow et.al., 19646; Miyazaki, 19937), it can be concluded that all types
of soil can functioned as potential recharge materials. The conclusion is confirmed by the permeable
soils that varies upon rock type. Soil derived from lahar shows the largest permeability values of 1.26 -
2.53 cm/min, followed by residual soil from pyroclastic breccias 1.5 cm/min, and residual soil from
lava flow 0.5 – 1.2 cm/min. The high field permeability value (Linsley & Franzini, 19788) indicates
that the soil material is very potential to infiltrate rain water into the aquifer.

3.2 Groundwater flow

A. Regional flow

Regional isophreatic map based on spring elevation and water table measurements on 2 areas, area 1
Linggarjati area and area 2 Cibulan spring area, shows 2 groundwater flow directions, SW-NE and
NW-SE. Based on the condition, the overall groundwater flow is appeared to be radial.

Result on Area 1 shows SW-NE major flow direction with 0.4 of hydraulic gradient, while result on
Area 2 presents NW-SE flow with gradient of 0.3. The groundwater flow on both areas is controlled
by undulating morphology of strato volcano. This condition is found especially on the slope of river
streams which consisted of many small depression springs or seepage zones.

B. Detailed flow

One of detail groundwater flow is completed at Cibulan spring area. The spring is located at the end
part of a ridge, which is discharging overall 400 l/sec of groundwater (figure 5A). Based on the
isophreatic map, the groundwater flows westward which is match the topographical contour, as shown
in figure 5B. The topography forms a ridge which consist of 10 m thick of laharic breccia (figure 5C).

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 Topic: Environment and hazard mitigation

Figure 5 The 3 figures shows the situation of Cibulan spring area, the
isophreatic map, and the secton of groundwater flow.

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 Topic: Environment and hazard mitigation

5. CONCLUSIONS

 Fracture zone controls the high discharge of springs in volcanic terrain. There are 2 genetics of
fractures:
1. Large conduits in between large boulder in Laharic breccia deposits
2. Joints in form of cooling joints
The large inter-boulders conduits and cooling joints control the high discharge from spring.

 The change of rock distribution can form a slope break in elevation range of 500 - 650 masl. The
slope break controls the hydrodynamic of groundwater. Therefore the largest spring emergences
occur at elevation 500 - 650 of elevation. The volcanic deposit distribution forms morphological
feature of ridges that also functions as groundwater flow path. Rock distribution controls the
groundwater movement. The radial distribution of volcanic deposit control the radial pattern of
groundwater flow.

References
1
Mandel S. (1981). “Groundwater Resources: Investigation and Development”. Academic Press,
pp. 217
2
Asseggaf, A. & Puradimaja, D.J. (1998). “Identifikasi Kawasan G. Salak – G. Gede sebagai Zona
Resapan dan Luahan Daerah Ciawi – Bogor Kabupaten Bogor – Jawa Barat”. Prosiding PIT
IAGI XXVII, pp. 4-136 - 4-142
3
Irawan, D.E., Puradimaja, D.E., Yuwono, S. & Syaifullah, T.A. (2000)., “Pemetaan Endapan
Bahan Volkanik dalam Upaya Identifikasi Akifer pada Sistem Gunungapi. Studi Kasus:
Daerah Pasir Jambu-Situwangi Soreang, Kabupaten Bandung, Jawa Barat”, Jurnal Buletin
Geologi, Vol 3, Tahun 2000
4
Irawan, D.E., Puradimaja, D.J. (2002). “Geological Mapping and Groundwater Physical-
Chemical Properties Characterization. An Approach to Spring Recharge Area
Conservation, Proceeding of International Conference on Urban Hydrology, Kuala
Lumpur, pp.
5
IWACO-WASECO. (1989). “West Java Provincial Water Sources Master Plan for Water
Supply: Kabupaten Kuningan”. Vol A, Directorate of Water Supply, Ministry of Public Works
6
Chow, VT (ed). (1964). “Handbook of Applied Hydrology”. McGraw-Hill, pp. 12.1-12.30
7
Miyazaki, T. (1993). “Water Flow in Soils”. Dekker, pp. 29 – 45
8
Linsley, R.K. & Franzini, J.B. (1978). Water Resources Engineering. McGraw Hill