Hydrogeology and Hydrogeochemistry of the Lauria Mountains Northern Sector Groundwater Resources (Basilicata, Italy)

In this study, the hydrogeological characterization of the northern sector of the Lauria Mounts carbonate hydrostructure (southern Apennines, Basilicata region) has been carried out and the hydrochemical properties of different collected groundwater samples have been characterized. Several normal springs drain the hydrostructure, some of them characterized by high annual mean discharges. Groundwater samples were collected from different springs; many parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids have been measured, and major (cations and anions) elements and stable isotopes have been analysed following standard test procedures. Other chemical characteristics were derived from the analysed quality parameters. The results elucidate that the main hydrogeochemical processes control the chemical content and assess the quality of the groundwater within the hydrostructure. The analyses highlight that the chemical compositions of groundwater are strongly influenced by the lithology, especially limestones and dolomitic limestones; they explain and confirm the hydrogeological setting of the system. The groundwater system displays light different geochemical signatures. The processes contributing to the concentrations of major ions depend primarily on carbonate dissolution. The analysis, in all studied groundwater samples, shows that the facies groundwater type is Ca–HCO3, bicarbonate is the dominant anion, and calcium is the dominant cation with appreciable magnesium concentrations. To identify the aquifer's recharge areas, the environmental stable isotopes oxygen and hydrogen, deuterium, and 18O were analysed. The unaltered δ18O and δD signatures for the groundwater of the major springs allows identifying the recharge area of these emergencies at elevations ranging from 900 m to 1000 m (a.s.l.), pointing out the presence of deeper flow regime feeding of these springs. The groundwater sample isotopic characteristics of D and 18O suggest that most of the groundwater is recharged directly by infiltration in a high-permeability medium

Seawater intrusion vulnerability assessment by Galdit method in the Metaponto coastal aquifer (Basilicata, Italy)

The groundwater vulnerability assessment to seawater intrusion (SWI), applying the GIS-based overlay-index GALDIT method, is provided for the Metaponto coastal aquifer (Basilicata region, southern Italy). The method is based on six conditioning parameters: groundwater occurrence (G), aquifer hydraulic conductivity (A), groundwater level (L), distance from the shore (D), impact of the existing status of SWI (I), and aquifer thickness (T). Three vulnerability classes were detected: low, moderate, and high, covering 70.40%, 22.65%, and 6.95% of the study area, respectively. The highest class is located close to the coastal sector due to the proximity to the sea, the greater thickness of the aquifer, and the shallow freshwater-seawater interface. To evaluate the sensitivity of the method on the predictive analysis and the influence of the single parameter and weight on the final vulnerability, the sensitivity analysis was carried out. The single-parameter analysis indicated that the factors such as groundwater table above sea level (a.s.l.), aquifer type, and impact of SWI have the greatest influence on the vulnerability. The application leads to the vulnerability mapping to SWI in the coastal plain that results to be a promising tool for decisionmaking finalized to properly manage groundwater

Hydrogeological characterization and groundwater vulnerability to pollution assessment of the High Basento River Valley carbonate hydrostructure (Basilicata, southern Italy).

The High Basento River Valley, located in the central western sector of the Basilicata region (southern Italy), is a productive carbonate hydrostructure of the Lucanian Apennines, which represents a strategic water resource for drinking purposes. Huge discharges, quantified at about 10 Mm3/y, flow from several exploited springs afferent to the groundwater system, many other springs are not picked up, even if characterized by a considerable amount of water. The aim of this study was to improve the understanding in the hydrogeological features of the aquifer system through performing geostructural field surveys finalized to define the effective hydraulic fracture permeability and the equivalent permeability of the carbonate hydrostructure. Furthermore, the application of an inverse hydrogeological water balance method to evaluate the effective recharge amount and the intrinsic vulnerability assessment of the hydrogeological basin were also performed. The purpose of these investigations was to obtain a detailed understanding of the carbonate hydrostructure, which may be useful in order to define integrated action criteria and safeguard strategies for the effective protection and sustainable management of groundwater resources

Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution Assessment

Water scarcity and pollution have arisen as global issues in the twenty-first century [...

Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment in the Metaponto Coastal Plain (Basilicata, Italy)

This study aims at a groundwater vulnerability assessment of the Metaponto coastal plain, located in the Basilicata region (southern Italy). In the last century, intensive agriculture, zootechnical and industrial activities have significantly changed the plain. These changes led to negative impacts on the hydrogeological system intensifying the risk of the aquifer to pollution. The paper presents the assessment of the intrinsic vulnerability of the coastal aquifer carried out by the GIS-based application of the SINTACS method. It considers several aquifer parameters such as water table depth, effective infiltration, unsaturated conditions, soil media, aquifer media, hydraulic conductivity and topography. Furthermore, the anthropogenic influence in the study area was considered by applying the SINTACS-LU method, in which the parameter of land use (LU) was added. The SINTACS and SINTACS-LU vulnerability indexes were provided by summing the product of ratings and weights assigned to each parameter. The analysis of the intrinsic vulnerability map allowed for determining three classes ranging from low to high vulnerability. In both cases, the southeastern part of the coastal plain, closest to the sea, shows the highest vulnerability class, indicating that it is the most vulnerable to contamination due to the hydrogeological intrinsic factors. The wide central part of the study area shows a moderate class of vulnerability and the low class is scattered in small parts in the northern portion of the plain, which represents the areas less contaminable in space and time in the case of potential pollution. In the SINTACS-LU map, some areas classified as highly vulnerable in the SINTACS method show a minor vulnerability class. These areas are localized in natural and wooded sectors of the Metaponto plain, which are less populated, where human impact on the groundwater is minimal

GEOPHYSICAL TECHNIQUES FOR MONITORING CARBONATE KARSTIC ROCKS

Carbonate aquifer in karst systems are very important water reservoir and are recognized as the most difficult to characterize. Then, the purpose of this article is to present a PhD project aimed to understand the circulation of fluids in carbonate reservoirs through innovative hydrogeophysical methodologies both in the laboratory and in the field. In order to achieve the research objective, two phases will be analyzed. One of these phases will be characterized by laboratory experiments where different carbonate samples and analogic karstic model (from cm3 to m3) will be observed by geophysical measurements. The other phase consists to transfer the laboratory experiences in a natural carbonate complex where it will be evaluated the effectiveness of a hydrogeophysical approach for monitoring carbonate karstic aquifer. The last phase will be applied in the carbonate karst area of Castel di Lepre (Marsico Nuovo, Basilicata, Italy)