La siccità e la disponibilità di acque sotterranee in Puglia

Mediante l'utilizzo di metodi di statistica delle serie storiche è stato possibile evidenziare alcuni caratteri degli acquiferi pugliesi, quali il regime piezometrico, i rapporti intercorrenti tra precipitazioni meteoriche, temperatura atmosferica e variazioni piezometriche. La ricostruzione degli aspetti tendenziali, negli ultimi 30 anni, delle variazioni piezometriche ha mostrato un abbassamento considerevole della quota piezometrica in tutte le unità idrogeologiche, con valori più accentuati per le aree interne della Murgia e del Tavoliere. Gli elementi raccolti segnalano un progressivo depauperamento delle falde idriche proprio dove si concentrano le acque sotterranee di migliore qualità. Si rende necessaria, quindi, una politica gestionale delle risorse idrica sotterranee che consenta agli acquiferi di accumulare acque sotterranee nei periodi umidi, in cui abbondano le acque di superficie, per restituirle nei periodi aridi, svolgendo una funzione di compenso pluriennale

Gli effetti antropici e climatici sulla disponibilità delle acque sotterranee della Piana ionico-lucana

The paper deals with the groundwater availability along the lonian coastal plain (Southern Italy), between the mouths of Sinni and Bradano Rivers. Subjected to intense agricultural and tourism activities, the availability of the tapped groundwater is seriously important for the economic growth ofthis coastal area, especially due to the increasing frequency of droughts. The stratigraphical and hydrogeological set-up of the area as the geochemical features of the groundwater arise from the data analysis of 1130 boreholes, widespread over the whole area and from 1.3 up to 423 meters deep. The aquifers of the area could be distinguished in two types. The former encloses aquifers constituted by marine terraced deposits and alluvial river valleys deposits. The latter includes that one of the coastal plain deposits. It is the most interesting for practical utilisation and it is considered in the paper. The analysis of long time series is based on piezometric data (1927 to 1984), monitored by 60 wells, temperature, rainfall and river discharge data. The piezometric regimen and the maximum piezometric variation are characterised. The trend analysis, the autocorrelation and the crosscorrelation were applied to all variables. As a result, the modification of groundwater availability was characterised considering the spatial variation of the hydrogeological conditions. The relationships existing between rainfall, temperature, river discharge variations and piezometric surface height

The role of climate in promoting landslides in the seismic area of the Appennines, Southern Italy

The study area is located in Southern Italy, southeast of Naples (Figure 1). The phenomena of slope instability and floods have long been a constant feature in this portion of the Apennines, with earthquakes and meteoric events accounting for the main triggering factors. Landslides have often resulted in dreadful economic and human losses. A magnitude-6.8 earthquake that triggered many large landslides hit the study area on November 23, 1980. A number of geological, geomorphological, hydrological and geotechnical features of the study area are examined in detail in the final technical report of an EEC research project (EEC 1996). This paper examines the space distribution of rainfall and temperature accounting for the distribution of landslides before the earthquake on 23 November 1980 and the changes occurred afterwards. The major climatic elements, namely monthly precipitation and temperature, are analysed with geostatistic methods and discussed. The space variability is compared to the landslide proneness distribution within the area

Trend termopluviometrico, siccità e disponibilità di acque sotterranee in Italia meridionale

Si caratterizzano le tendenze delle variabili climatiche che determinano la disponibilità di risorse idriche e gli effetti sulla disponibilità di acque sotterranee, analizzando serie temporali mensili inerenti piovosità e temperatura di 126 stazioni collocate in Italia meridionale, tra il 1821 e il 2005. È emersa una tendenza al calo pluviometrico che riguarda il 95% dell’area, dovuto in particolare ad un consistente deficit di precipitazioni a partire dal 1980. La tendenza negativa è accentuata in inverno, solitamente stagione più piovosa su gran parte dell’area considerata. Questo fattore, congiuntamente con temperature maggiori della media ossservate con regolarità dal 1980, determina per la piovosità efficace una tendenza al calo ancora più grave. Gli effetti sulle acque sotterranee sono stati valutati mediante serie storiche mensili considerando vasti acquiferi in Basilicata, Calabria e Puglia, caso descritto nel dettaglio. Ovunque si osserva una spiccata tendenza al calo piezometrico

Monitoring and methods to analyse the groundwater quality degradation risk in coastal karstic aquifers (Apulia, Southern Italy)

A multi-methodological approach based on monitoring and spatio-temporal analysis of groundwater quality changes is proposed. The presented tools are simple, quick and cost-effective to give service to all sorts of users. The chief purpose of the monitoring network is the detection of the piezometric or potenziometric level in the aquifer. The spatial and multi-temporal analysis of usual chemical and physical data provides both an assessment of the spatial vulnerability of the aquifer to seawater intrusion, defining a salinity threshold between fresh groundwater and brackish groundwater and of the water quality trend in terms of salinity. The evaluation of the salinity trend or of salinity-correlated parameters highlights the effects of groundwater mismanagement. The multiparameter logging provides a rapid groundwater quality classification for each well. The whole approach allows evaluating the effects of current management criteria and designing more appropriate management targets. The Apulian karstic coastal aquifers have been selected as a case study (Southern Italy). Three types of aquifer zones can be distinguished: (1) areas with low vulnerability to seawater intrusion, (2) areas with high vulnerability and (3) areas with variable vulnerability in which the salt degradation largely depends on the ability to manage the well discharge. The water quality degradation caused by seawater intrusion appears to be a combined effect of an anomalous succession of drought periods observed from about 1980 onwards and increased groundwater pumping, particularly during drought periods. A management criterion based on aquifer zones is proposed

Observational study on lameness recovery in 10 dogs affected by iliopsoas injury and submitted to a physiotherapeutic approach

This preliminary study has investigated the outcome of physiotherapy in 10 dogs affected by a primary lesion of the iliopsoas muscle and the potential effects of sex, age, and breed on recovery. Ten dogs with primary injury of the iliopsoas muscle were retrospectively included in this study. Dogs were submitted to a rehabilitation program, characterized by a multimodal approach, including physical therapies and modalities. After recovery, patients were submitted to a further support period of rehabilitation to promote muscle strengthening and limit injury recurrence during their return to normal functional and sports activity. Border collies were highly represented. The recovery of lameness occurred after a mean of 22.6 ± 14.7 (median 18) days with a median number of five sessions. None of the examined variables affected the recovery time, except for the border collie breed, which showed a significantly faster recovery time; however, there was no difference between the breeds with regard to the number of sessions. Multimodal rehabilitation therapy may promote lameness recovery of mild-to-moderate iliopsoas lesions within 3 weeks. This preliminary study reports a clinical approach and recovery of primary iliopsoas lesions, findings that can provide clinicians with useful prognostic information for dogs involved in sports activities

Effetti antropici e naturali sul degrado quantitativo delle acque sotterranee del Tavoliere

This work is based on data acquisition and analysis of chronology sequences of piezometric, rainfall, thermometric and runoff data of Apulian Tableland aquifer. Methods of time series analysis are used. This approach has allowed characterising the piezometric regime and trend related to the natural recharge variation. The historical character of measurement period, last sixty years, is very important to evaluate the human effect

Rules and regulations for the safeguard of water resources: examples from European, Italian and Albanian experiences

Water is a vital and precious resource for people and for ecosystems. We should make each possible effort to protect water resources and increase people’s access to clean and sufficient water. To pursue these purposes many efforts have been realised in terms of technical rules and national laws. This contribution describes the approach of the European Union, Italy and Albania, considering also some local government initiatives concerning the protection of water resources, in terms of availability and quality, and of ecosystems. Attention is given also to the effect of the whole water cycle management in terms of environmental protection and reduction of water-related natural disaster

Groundwater as main resources of a wide semiarid region: the case of Apulian region (southern italy)

The Apulian region is characterized by very low availability of surface water resources due to the its widespread karstic nature. Considerable groundwater resources are located in large carbonate coastal aquifers. Groundwater for domestic, irrigation and industrial use has been withdrawn in large and increasing quantities over the years, it still allows the development of local population. Groundwater is affected by two types of degradation risks: quality and quantity degradation. Starting by the analysis of long hydrological time series, the dramatic decreasing trend of groundwater availability is characterised and the negative effect in terms of groundwater quality is highlighted