Groundwater abstraction and contamination in Lithuania as geoindicators of environmental change

Abstract. Groundwater abstraction not only affects subsurface water, but also causes changes in the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. There are certain symptoms of these environmental changes that might be designated as geoindicators. Geoindicators related to groundwater abstraction and contamination in Lithuania have been classified into three groups related to: (1) the decline/rise of groundwater levels, (2) the deterioration of groundwater quality, and (3) the intensification of water-rock interaction. On the basis of hydrogeological and hydrological investigations carried out over many years, different environmental impacts of intensive groundwater use are demonstrated. The most important among them are the formation of depression cones, intensification of groundwater pollution, saltwater encroachment, and the intensification of karst.