TITLE:
Delineation of Protection Zones for the Main Discharge Area of the Gran Sasso Aquifer (Central Italy) through an Integrated Geomorphological and Chronological Approach
AUTHORS:
Francesca Biava, Mauro Consonni, Vincenzo Francani, Paola Gattinoni, Laura Scesi
KEYWORDS:
Karst Aquifer, Italy, Protection Zones, Spring
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.6 No.19,
December
30,
2014
ABSTRACT: The paper
proposes a study for the delineation of protection zones in the main discharge
area of the Gran Sasso aquifer (Central Italy). At this aim, starting from a
detailed geological and hydrogeological reconstruction, the study was divided
into the following phases: 1) development of a conceptual model of water flow
in the study area; 2) creation of a 3D numerical model in order to simulate the
groundwater flow in saturated conditions, both at the basin and at fine-scale; 3)
flow path analysis through deterministic and stochastic approaches; 4)
assessment of the aquifer vulnerability based on a geomorphological analysis of
the catchment area. Conceptual and numerical models were then used to delineate
protection zones for wells and springs with chronological criterion and
geomorphological-structural criterion (based on the EPIK method). The results
show that with a chronological approach protection zones are located along the
main flow directions, corresponding to the areas surrounding wells and springs
with high hydraulic conductivity values (faults and thrusts) within the satured
zone. On the contrary, the geomorphological method has found some important
protection zones also quite far from wells and springs, in areas characterized
by quick infiltration processes. The protection zones delineated with the
stochastic method were finally intersected by the vulnerability map obtained
with the EPIK method, to take into account both filtration and infiltration
processes. The results show the local vulnerability of the groundwater to the
pollution, with protection zones extending 1 to 5 km towards northeast from
springs and wells.