Leveraging Bibliometric Analysis to Uncover Trends, Developments and Hotspots in Research on Groundwater Solute Transport from 1981 to 2022

Abstract

Groundwater quality has become a critical global concern, with challenges such as seawater intrusion, contaminant leakage, and geogenic contamination. To address these varied challenges, research into the solute transport of groundwater is necessary. The present study analyzed 5,237 articles on groundwater solute transport from the Science of Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) bibliographic database spanning the years 1981 to 2022. This analysis uncovers existing research findings, explains the developmental trends and governing principles in this field and identifies some hotspots. The results reveal that both the publication volume and growth rate in the field of groundwater solute transport significantly exceed those in general scientific disciplines during the periods 1981–2000 and 2010–2022. The former period is the urgent need to solve the problem of groundwater pollution, and the latter period is the increased recognition of the importance of water resources. A critical assessment was conducted from country, institution, author and funding. Presently, research activities have been initiated by 104 countries, with the United States, China and Germany collectively contributing 66. 54%, occupying a leadership position. Despite China's growing research activity, its influence still needs to increase. The effects of uncertainty and temporal and spatial variability in groundwater systems remain great challenges for current research. With escalating attention given to the ramifications of climate change, research in this field has also begun to concentrate on the potential impact of climate change on groundwater solute transport. Future research endeavors in this domain should prioritize interdisciplinary studies and multi-factorial integrated analyses to solve environmental issues.