Isotopes in hydrology and hydrogeology

The structure, status, and processes of the groundwater system, which can only be acquired through scientific research efforts, are critical aspects of water resource management. Isotope hydrology and hydrogeology is a genuinely interdisciplinary science. It developed from the application of methods evolved in physics (analytical techniques) to problems of Earth and the environmental sciences since around the 1950s. In this regard, starting from hydrogeochemical data, stable and radioactive isotope data provide essential tools in support of water resource management. The inventory of stable isotopes, which has significant implications for water resources management, has grown in recent years. Methodologies based on the use of isotopes in a full spectrum of hydrological problems encountered in water resource assessment, development, and management activities are already scientifically established and are an integral part of many water resource investigations and environmental studies. The driving force behind this Special Issue was the need to point the hydrological and water resource management societies in the direction of up-to-date research and best practices

The importance of Enrichment Factor (EF) and Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) to evaluate the soil contamination

Heavy metals are natural constituents of soils and their concentration varies depending on parental materials. In the last years, the content of heavy metal in soils has increased due to human activities as: distribution of fertilizers, pesticides, industries, waste disposal and air pollution. Due to these activities the life capacity of soils decreased; especially where the natural background is already high because of natural parental material richness in heavy metal. As a matter of fact it is very important to distinguish between the natural background values and anthropogenic inputs, and to understand that the background values change from area to area and with the scale of the area investigated. There is currently a wide variety of methods used to evaluate soil contamination. To evaluate the soil contamination rate different indexes like Enrichment Factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) can be applied. These indexes are used to assess the presence and intensity of anthropogenic contaminant deposition on surface soil

Climatic variations in Macerata province (Central Italy)

The province of Macerata, Italy, is a topographically complex region which has been little studied in terms of its temperature and precipitation climatology. Temperature data from 81 weather stations and precipitation data from 55 rain gauges were obtained, and, following quality control procedures, were investigated on the basis of 3 standard periods: 1931-1960, 1961-1990 and 1991-2014. Spatial and temporal variations in precipitation and temperature were analysed on the basis of six topographic variable (altitude, distance from the sea, latitude, distance from the closest river, aspect, and distance from the crest line). Of these, the relationship with altitude showed the strongest correlation. Use of GIS software allowed investigation of the most accurate way to present interpolations of these data and assessment of the differences between the 3 investigated periods. The results of the analyses permit a thorough evaluation of climate change spatially over the last 60 years. Generally, the amount of precipitation is diminished while the temperature is increased across the whole study area, but with significant variations within it. Temperature increased by 2 to 3 °C in the central part of the study area, while near the coast and in the mountains the change is between about 0 and 1 °C, with small decreases focused in the Appennine and foothill belt (-1 to 0 °C). For precipitation, the decrease is fairly uniform across the study area (between about 0-200 mm), but with some isolated areas of strong increase (200-300 mm) and only few parts of territory in which there is an increase of 0-200 mm, mainly in the southern part of the coast, to the south-west and inland immediately behind the coast. The monthly temperature trend is characterized by a constant growth, while for precipitation there is a strong decrease in the amount measured in January, February and October (between 25 and 35 mm on average)

The argali (Ovis ammon antiqua) from the Magliana area (Rome)

During the Middle Pleistocene, the subspecies was widespread from Georgia to Portugal, though it is scantily recorded in local faunal assemblages of Southern Europe. Its occurrence in a few Late Pleistocene sites needs to be confirmed. In Italy, the subspecies is recorded in the late Galerian fauna of Visogliano (MIS 13 - 10) as well as in the Magliana area, where an incomplete skull was found at the beginning of the last century. Although the precise location where this specimen was found is unknown, on the basis of the results of the geochemical analysis performed on a small amount of sediment, sampled from the filling of the inner cavities of the horn-cores, and considering the stratigraphy of the area, the hypothesis that the skull comes from the deposits of the PG4 sequence (MIS14 partim - MIS13) cannot be ruled out. This hypothetical remark would confirm the occurrence in Italy of the argali in late Galerian faunas. The dimensions of Ovis ammon antiqua from the Magliana area fit well within the range of variability of the larger specimens, likely males, found at La Caune de L’Arago (France) (MIS 14-12), from which the Italian specimen differs in having less twisted and more dorso-ventrally curved horn-cores

Strontium Isotope as Tracers of Groundwater Contamination

Groundwater flowing under a municipal solid waste landfill has been studied to identify potential contamination phenomenon and to test strontium isotopic composition as a natural tracer of contamination. The study was carried on in June 2014 in central Italy. Five selected boreholes were selected and analysed according to their location related to the site. Samples taken from boreholes placed upward to the site were considered as uncontaminated groundwater. One borehole located downward from the site and with major contaminant values has been considered as potentially contaminated end-member. Sr isotope results show that samples located upward from the site present lower Sr concentration and highest Sr isotopic values, which reflects weathered bedrock, while borehole located downward from the site show lowest Sr values and 87Sr/86Sr ratio, probably due to pollution by landfill leachate. The mixing calculation highlights the possible mixing phenomenon for the other samples located downward from the site

Soil contamination evaluation by Enrichment Factor (EF) and Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo)

Heavy metals are natural constituents of soils and their concentration varies depending on parental materials. The soils were formed by. In the last years, the content of heavy metal in soils has increased due to human activities as: distribution of fertilizers, pesticides, industries, waste disposal and air pollution. Due to these activities the life capacity of soils decreased; especially where the natural background is already high because of natural parental material richness in heavy metal. As a matter of fact it is very important to distinguish between the natural background values and anthropogenic inputs, and to understand that the background values change from area to area and with the scale of the area investigated. To evaluate the soil contamination rate different indexes like Enrichment Factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) can be applied. These indexes are used to assess the presence and intensity of anthropogenic contaminant deposition on surface soil

Hydrogeochemical changes before and during the 2016 Amatrice-Norcia seismic sequence (central Italy)

Seismic precursors are an as yet unattained frontier in earthquake studies. With the aim of making a step towards this frontier, we present a hydrogeochemical dataset associated with the 2016 Amatrice- Norcia seismic sequence (central Apennines, Italy), developed from August 24th, with an Mw 6.0 event, and culminating on October 30th, with an Mw 6.5 mainshock. The seismic sequence occurred during a seasonal depletion of hydrostructures, and the four strongest earthquakes (Mw ≥ 5.5) generated an abrupt uplift of the water level, recorded up to 100 km away from the mainshock area. Monitoring a set of selected springs in the central Apennines, a few hydrogeochemical anomalies were observed months before the onset of the seismic swarm, including a variation of pH values and an increase of As, V, and Fe concentrations. Cr concentrations increased immediately after the onset of the seismic sequence. On November 2016, these elements recovered to their usual low concentrations. We interpret these geochemical anomalies as reliable seismic precursors for a dilational tectonic setting

Preliminary data validation and reconstruction of temperature and precipitation in Central Italy

This study assesses the method of data validation of temperature and precipitation in Middle Italy. The procedure proposes a method of validation that may be applied worldwide, provided that calibration relative to the respective climate zones is worked out. The method performs data validation by considering that historical time series show different types of errors such as typing, sensor and reading/recording errors. It takes also into account the procedures for data validation as prescribed by the World Meteorological Organization, implementing them with five types of controls: gross error checking, internal consistency check, tolerance test, temporal consistency and spatial consistency. This work contributes to the development of different standardized methodologies for each type of control to validate climate data; it also provides an innovative procedure to reconstruct missing data in absence of reliable reference time series. The outcomes of this method have led to the removal of 375 records (0.02%) of temperature data from 40 weather stations and 1286 records (1.67%) of precipitation data from 118 weather stations

New Interpretation of Galileo\u2019s Arthritis and Blindness

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) complained of several disorders during his life, the most important of which were chronic arthritic pains and bilateral blindness. These symptoms might result from an immune rheumatic disease, namely reactive arthritis (urethritis, uveitis, arthritis), when Galileo started suffering with an episode of fever in June 1593. Padua University owns the fifth lumbar vertebra of the great scientist and we performed a series of anthropological and radiographic analyses on it. The anthropological measurements showed that the shape of the vertebra was normal as to exclude significant diseases. The study through radiography and Computed Tomography showed only a mild arthrosis documented by small osteophytosis. Eventually the disease evolved into blindness with a pannus restricting the pupils (uveitis). These findings support the occurrence of reactive arthritis. Alternatively to urethral infection, Galileo could have suffered from Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in 1593, which was complicated by reactive arthritis a couple of weeks later. Thereafter he complained several episodes of recurrent arthritis, which eventually culminated into uveitis and bilateral blindness

Diurnal and semidiurnal cyclicity of Radon (222Rn) in groundwater, Giardino Spring, Central Apennines, Italy

Understanding natural variations of Rn (222Rn) concentrations is the fundamental prerequisite of using this radioactive gas as a tracer, or even precursor, of natural processes, including earthquakes. In this work, Rn concentrations in groundwater were continuously measured over a seven-month period, during 2017, in the Giardino Spring, Italy, together with groundwater levels in a nearby well installed into a fractured regional aquifer. Data were processed to reduce noise, and then analyzed to produce the Fourier spectra of Rn concentrations and groundwater levels. These spectra were compared with the spectrum of tidal forces. Results showed that diurnal and semidiurnal cycles of Rn concentrations, and filtered oscillations of groundwater levels, in the nearby well, are correlated with solar and luni-solar components of tidal forces, and suggested no correlation with the principal lunar components. Therefore, influencing factors linked to solar cycles, such as daily oscillations of temperature and atmospheric pressure, and related rock deformations, may have played a role in Rn concentrations and groundwater levels. An open question remains regarding the correlation, which is documented elsewhere, of Rn concentrations and groundwater levels with the lunar components of the solid Earth tides