Integration of GIS, electromagnetic and electrical Methods in the delimitation of groundwater polluted by effluent discharge (Salamanca, Spain): A case study

The present work envisages the possible geometry of a contaminated plume of groundwater near hospital facilities by combining GIS (Geographic Information System) and geophysical methods. The rock underlying the soil and thin sedimentary cover of the study area is moderately fractured quartzite, which makes aquifers vulnerable to pollution. The GIS methodology is used to calculate the area that would be affected by the effluent source of residual water, based on algorithms that consider ground surface mapping (slopes, orientations, accumulated costs and cost per distance). Geophysical methods (electromagnetic induction and electric resistivity tomography) use changes in the electrical conductivity or resistivity of the subsurface to determine the geometry of the discharge and the degree of contamination. The model presented would allow a preliminary investigation regarding potential corrective measures.This work has been supported by research projects CGL2012-37281-C02.01, CGL2015-67169-P and CGL2015-69919-R of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, partially financed with FEDER funds. The projects were developed and carried out at the University of Salamanca.Peer reviewe