Free and open-source GIS-integrated hydrogeological analysis tool: an application for coastal aquifer systems

This paper demonstrates the application of a recently developed free and open-source GIS-integrated hydrochemical–hydrogeological analysis tool (named AkvaGIS) for the management and interpretation of hydrogeological data with respect to a coastal aquifer system. The aforementioned tool is composed of a geospatial database implemented in Spatialite, complemented with a set of developed tools for the analysis, interpretation, and visualization of groundwater quality parameters and hydrogeological data. This ICT tool is part of the FREEWAT platform, an open-source and public domain GIS-integrated modelling environment based on groundwater flow and solute transport numerical models, including a water management and planning module. The case study that was used to perform a demonstration of the aforementioned tool, is a coastal aquifer system in Greece, suffering from both seawater intrusion and nitrate contamination as a result of extensive agricultural activities. It involves a complex hydrogeological environment incorporating karst and granular aquifer layers, subjected to different exploitation conditions. AkvaGIS was proved a useful ICT tool for the analysis and interpretation of the collected hydrogeological/hydrochemical data and results, which may be considered as a valuable tool for analyzing different aspects of aquifer systems.This paper is presented within the framework of the project FREEWAT, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation Programme under Grant Agreement no. 642224. This paper content reflects only the authors' views and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein

Management of coastal hydrosystems through the application of free and open source software tool FREEWAT

FREEWAT is an open source and public domain GIS integrated modelling environment for the simulation of water quantity and quality in surface water and groundwater with an integrated water management and planning module. It involves the integration of: (i) Observation-Analysis Tool (OAT) that combines a number of time-series processing functionalities for statistical analysis of observations and help prepare model input data; (ii) AkvaGIS that involves hydrochemical and hydrogeological Analysis Tools and (iii) Groundwater Flow (MODFLOW-2005) and Transport modeling modules. FREEWAT platform will be applied in a typical Mediterranean environment that hosts a naturally occurring –and today degraded– coastal wetland with the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem linked to a typical coastal hydrogeological system of a semi-arid region; and therefore can serve as a model for similar systems worldwide. The geo-hydrological setting of the area involves a multi-layer aquifer system consisting of (i) an upper unconsolidated formation of depositional unit dominated mostly by fluvial sediments and (ii) the surrounding and underlying karstified marbles; both being linked to the investigated wetland and also subjected to seawater encroachment

Free and open-source GIS-integrated hydrogeological analysis tool: an application for coastal aquifer systems

This paper demonstrates the application of a recently developed free and open-source GIS-integrated hydrochemical–hydrogeological analysis tool (named AkvaGIS) for the management and interpretation of hydrogeological data with respect to a coastal aquifer system. The aforementioned tool is composed of a geospatial database implemented in Spatialite, complemented with a set of developed tools for the analysis, interpretation, and visualization of groundwater quality parameters and hydrogeological data. This ICT tool is part of the FREEWAT platform, an open-source and public domain GIS-integrated modelling environment based on groundwater flow and solute transport numerical models, including a water management and planning module. The case study that was used to perform a demonstration of the aforementioned tool, is a coastal aquifer system in Greece, suffering from both seawater intrusion and nitrate contamination as a result of extensive agricultural activities. It involves a complex hydrogeological environment incorporating karst and granular aquifer layers, subjected to different exploitation conditions. AkvaGIS was proved a useful ICT tool for the analysis and interpretation of the collected hydrogeological/hydrochemical data and results, which may be considered as a valuable tool for analyzing different aspects of aquifer systems