Incorporating the water footprint and virtual water into policy: reflections from the Mancha Occidental Region, Spain

Water resource management is often a controversial issue in semiarid regions. Most water resources experts admit that water conflicts are not caused by the physical water scarcity but they are mainly due to inadequate water management. The virtual water concept (the volume of water used in the production of a commodity, good or service) together with the water footprint (indicator of water consumption that looks at both direct and indirect water use of a consumer or producer), links a large range of sectors and issues, thus providing a potentially appropriate framework to support more optimal water management practices by informing production and trade decisions. This paper provides an analysis of these two concepts within the context of the Mancha Occidental region, Spain, exploring the hydrological and economic aspects of agricultural production. In doing so, this work not only distinguishes between green and blue water but also between surface and groundwater. We conclude by discussing the practical implications of the results, as well as their potential limitations from the policy standpoint

Hydrogeological model of Mijas mountain aquifers under different climate conditions (Málaga, Spain)

Carbonate aquifers represent an important source of freshwater, both for urban and agricultural uses. This is particularly true in semiarid regions, where intensive pumping has often led to aquifer overexploitation. One example is the Mijas mountain carbonate diffuse flow system (80 km2), located to the SW of the city of Malaga, Spain. From a geolo-gical standpoint, this area consists of Triassic dolomitic and calcareous rocks, which overlay Palaeozoic metapelites. The geological structure is formed by ESE-WNW folds and the me-tapelites anticlinal cores have divided the study area into four aquifer systems. The recharge of Mijas mountain aquifers comes from direct infiltration of rainfall, while pumping is the main discharge. To improve the knowledge of geological and hydrodynamic parameters, and therefore to improve water resources management, a hydrogeological model has been developed with Processing Modflow 8.0.42. Piezometric level and spring flows have been modelled, under steady and transient-flow conditions for a 35-year period. Five future scenarios were simulated for different rainfall and pumping conditions. Outcomes confirm that the water level evolution is determined by the quantity and distribution of rainfall during the hydrological year, with the same pumping rate. The results also suggest that current trends are likely to raise sustainability issues in the future.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

El presunto intento de asesinar a Sarmiento en Chile : (1850)

Fil: Santos Martínez, Pedro. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Filosofía y Letra

Hydrogeology and videogames. Genaro el Geólogo and the mystery of arsenic

Las nuevas tecnologías nos brindan multitud de plataformas innovadoras para hacer del aprendizaje un proceso entretenido. En los últimos años, el videojuego ha ido ganando adeptos en la comunidad docente gracias a su carácter interactivo y su capacidad de inmersión. El videojuego es especialmente útil como herramienta para la consolidación de conocimientos cuando se concibe como simulador de una situación potencialmente real, ya que permite que el alumno empatice con las necesidades de los personajes y se implique directamente en la resolución de sus problemas. Este artículo tiene por objeto presentar una experiencia de clase realizada con cuarenta y tres alumnos de cuarto curso de Grado en Geología de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Se presta especial atención a la fase de elaboración del videojuego, así como a un proceso bidireccional de evaluación en el que los estudiantes tienen oportunidad de valorar su grado de satisfacción con el videojuego como actividad didáctica. Esta experiencia pone de manifiesto el valor de los videojuegos como herramienta didáctica en la enseñanza universitaria, ya que los resultados muestran un grado de aprovechamiento elevado y una acogida positiva por parte de los estudiantes.New technologies allow for the development of attractive learning interfaces. Video games are gradually gaining recognition among teachers due to their interactive nature. In particular, video games are useful tools to consolidate concepts. This is especially true of games that simulate real-life situations, largely because students empathise with the game’s characters and find it easy to get involved. This paper presents an experiment carried out with forty-three undergraduate Geology students from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. Emphasis is placed on the development and evaluation processes, showcasing the results of a two-way evaluation that highlights student satisfaction.Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

A Commune-Level Groundwater Potential Map for the Republic of Mali

Groundwater represents an essential resource in sub-Saharan Africa, where several hundred million people rely on aquifers for domestic supply. This paper presents a method to map groundwater potential in the Republic of Mali based on a spatially-distributed database of 26,040 boreholes. The database includes exhaustive information on key parameters such as borehole location, success rate of borehole production, depth, yield, static groundwater level or water quality. Representative variables were classified and interpreted jointly to develop a groundwater potential index for each of the 703 communes in Mali. This provides a methodological novelty because groundwater potential studies typically rely on indirect indicators such as lineaments, slope, soil moisture and landforms. Also, such large borehole databases have seldom been used to estimate groundwater potential. The highest indexes were obtained for the areas in and around the River Niger’s Inner Delta, including southern Tombouctou and the central parts of the Ségou and Mopti Regions. The lower Precambrian formations, which include the country’s thoroughly populated southern plateau, had moderate scores. The lowest groundwater potential was found in the northern part of the Kayes and Koulikoro Regions, as well as in the entire region of Kidal. By providing results at the commune scale, these outcomes show that groundwater potential across the country’s geological and hydrogeological units can be highly variable, and that local and regional-scale information may be useful for groundwater management purposes. These results are policy-relevant in a context of rapid change and population growth, where groundwater resources can be expected to be increasingly relied upon in the coming years