scholarly journals Hydrogeological and geochemical overview of the karst aquifers in the Apuan Alps (Northwestern Tuscany, Italy)

Author(s):  
Matia Menichini ◽  
Marco Doveri ◽  
Leonardo Piccini

Apuan Alps, in north-western Tuscany (Italy), have a very complex geological structure. For this reason karst springs show very different behaviours according to the geological setting of aquifer systems. More than 80 springs are fed by carbonate aquifers; flow rates (Q) range from 10 to 1600 L/s, in average, temperatures range from 8 to 15 °C. Deep and very slow groundwater flow feed some low-thermal springs (20-30 °C). Major karst springs (Q > 100 L/s) are concentrated in two altimetry ranges, one from 200 to 300 m a.s.l. in the seaward side (SW-NW) and a second one from 500 to 600 m a.s.l. on the inner (NE-SE) side of the mountain range. Most of the springs are the final destination of large karst systems developed in meta-dolomite and marbles characterized by a very rapid flow. Some springs have a regular regime and are fed by bathyphreatic systems in metamorphic rocks or by carbonate aquifers with a major contribution of fissured drainage in non-metamorphic rocks. Large physical-chemical variations, both in space and time, are observed as a consequence of lithological heterogeneity, mixing processes and hydrodynamic conditions. Most waters are of the Ca-HCO3 type, but Ca-SO4 and Na-Cl facies are also present. A wide range of electrical conductivity is recorded, with values between 0.1 μS/cm and 10 μS/cm. Significant differences in the average isotopic signature (e.g. δ18O from -5.5 to -8.5‰) of the “base-flow” are registered due to the variability of hydrogeological basins dimension and their distribution in terms of altitude range and side. In some cases, springs with similar chemical features and located close to each other, point out very different isotopes signature, thus highlighting complicated flow path of groundwater. Furthermore, different seasonal evolutions of isotopic signatures are registered.

2009 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 777-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Macdonald ◽  
H. E. Belkin ◽  
F. Wall ◽  
B. Baginski

AbstractElectron microprobe analyses are presented of chevkinite-group minerals from Canada, USA, Guatemala, Norway, Scotland, Italy and India. The host rocks are metacarbonates, alkaline and subalkaline granitoids, quartz-bearing pegmatites, carbonatite and an inferred K-rich tuff. The analyses extend slightly the range of compositions in the chevkinite group, e.g. the most MgO-rich phases yet recorded, and we report two further examples where La is the dominant cation in the A site. Patchily- zoned crystals from Virginia and Guatemala contain both perrierite and chevkinite compositions. The new and published analyses are used to review compositional variation in minerals of the perrierite subgroup, which can form in a wide range of host rock compositions and over a substantial pressure- temperature range. The dominant substitutions in the various cation sites and a generalized substitution scheme are described.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-82
Author(s):  
Holmurod Akimovich Zhalov

From bryological point of view Zeravshan mountain range remains one of the least studied region. Identification of species composition of true mosses and their ecological-biological peculiarities were not earlier aimed for this region. In the territory of Agalyk basin Karatepa mountains can be divided into four types of substrates where moss species occur: soil, bark of living trees, decayed wood, stones. Characteristics of substrate groups become complicated due to wide range of ecological valency of moss species. Most species select not only one, but several substrates for their settling. During the research period in the soils of Agaliksay basin 20 species were recorded belonging to 13 genera and 10 family. On decayed wood 9 species were recorded belonging to 7 genera and 5 family. On the bark of living trees 15 moss species were recorded belonging to 8 genera and 6 family. Epilyte bryophytes occurred on rocky substrates. On rocky substrates of Agaliksay basin 34 moss species were recorded from 16 genera and 13 family. On the basis of results obtained during the study of substrate groups of mosses in Agaliksay basin, we have conducted comparative analyses of studied substrate groups with the purpose of determining their characteristic features.


2021 ◽  
Vol 303 ◽  
pp. 01029
Author(s):  
Alexander Katsubin ◽  
Victor Martyanov ◽  
Milan Grohol

Information about the geological structure of Kuznetsky coal basin (Kuzbass) allows us to note that coal deposits developed by open-cast method are characterized by complicated conditions and have the following features: large length of deposits at significant depths of occurrence; coal series bedding of different thicknesses (from 1 to 40 m); different dip angles (from 3 to 90º); a significant number of dip and direction disturbances; different thickness of unconsolidated quaternary sediments (from 5 to 40 m); a wide range of strength values of rocks. In addition, there is a thickness irregularity and frequent variability of elements of occurrence of coal seams within the boundaries of a quarry field both in length and depth of mining. From the point of view of open-pit mining, such deposits are complex-structured. The factors listed above have a decisive influence on the choice of technical means, the order of development and the possibility of carrying out surface mining operations. Therefore, there is a need for a systematization of mining and geological conditions for the development of coal deposits, the purpose of which is to ensure a process of evaluation of complex-structured coal deposits for the development of coal-bearing zones by various complexes of equipment.


2013 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique Fort ◽  
Etienne Cossart

Active mountains supply the largest sediment fluxes experienced on earth. At mountain range scale, remote sensing approaches, sediments provenance or stream power law analyses, collectively provide rough long-term estimates of total erosion. Erosion is indeed controlled by rock uplift and climate, hence by a wide range of processes (detachment, transport and deposition), all operating within drainage basin units, yet with time and spatial patterns that are quite complex at local scale. We focus on the Kali Gandaki valley, along the gorge section across the Higher Himalaya (e.g. from Kagbeni down to Tatopani). Along this reach, we identify sediment sources, stores and sinks, and consider hillslope int eractions with valley floor, in particular valley damming at short and longer time scales, and their impact on sediment budgets and fluxes. A detailed sediment budget is presented, constrained by available dates and/or relative chronology, ranging from several 10 kyr to a few decades. Obtained results span over two orders of magnitude that can best be explained by the type and magnitude of erosional processes involved. We show that if large landslides contribute significantly to the denudation history of active mountain range, more frequent medium to small scales landslides are in fact of primary concern for Himalayan population.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0243445
Author(s):  
Summaira Riaz ◽  
Alan C. Tenscher ◽  
Claire C. Heinitz ◽  
Karla G. Huerta-Acosta ◽  
M. Andrew Walker

Pierce’s disease (PD) caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is a deadly disease of grapevines. This study used 20 SSR markers to genotype 326 accessions of grape species collected from the southeastern and southwestern United States, Mexico and Costa Rica. Two hundred sixty-six of these accessions, and an additional 12 PD resistant hybrid cultivars developed from southeastern US grape species, were evaluated for PD resistance. Disease resistance was evaluated by quantifying the level of bacteria in stems and measuring PD symptoms on the canes and leaves. Both Bayesian clustering and principal coordinate analyses identified two groups with an east-west divide: group 1 consisted of grape species from the southeastern US and Mexico, and group 2 consisted of accessions collected from the southwestern US and Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range appeared to be a phylogeographic barrier. The state of Texas was identified as a potential hybridization zone. The hierarchal STRUCTURE analysis on each group showed clustering of unique grape species. An east-west divide was also observed for PD resistance. With the exception of Vitis candicans and V. cinerea accessions collected from Mexico, all other grape species as well as the resistant southeastern hybrid cultivars were susceptible to the disease. Southwestern US grape accessions from drier desert regions showed stronger resistance to the disease. Strong PD resistance was observed within three distinct genetic clusters of V. arizonica which is adapted to drier environments and hybridizes freely with other species across its wide range.


Georesursy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 2-11
Author(s):  
Mikhail A. Fomin ◽  
Rashid M. Saitov

The article presents the results of studying the geological structure of the Bazhenov Formation in the Nadym-Ob interfluve of Western Siberia with the aim of predicting the oil content of this black shale stratum. As a result of interpretation of a wide range of well logging represented by electric, radioactive and acoustic logging, with subsequent matching of these results with paleontological definitions of micro- and macrofauna, the distribution of the Salym, Nizhnevartovsky and Tarkosalinsky types of sections of the Bazhenov Formation was clarified, transitional areas between them were identified. It has been established that the Tarkosalinsky type is more widespread in the western direction than was shown earlier and is also distinguished in the Vengayakhinskaya, Yaraynerskaya and other areas. The Nizhnevartovsky type, on the contrary, has a narrower distribution and stands out directly within the same name arc and to the south by the Variegasky-Tagrinsky megahigh. On the basis of geological, geochemical, geophysical criteria and the results of an inflow test in deep wells, a map of the oil potential prospects of the “classical” sections of the Bazhenov Formation has been compiled. Regional prerequisites (high catagenesis of organic matter, significant modern concentrations of organic carbon, etc.) for the discovery of industrial accumulations of oil in the Bazhenov Formation in the southern regions of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area are identified. The results of the test for the inflow of the Bazhenov Formation in this area in the 70–90s XX century were analyzed; repeated, interval testing of these deposits using modern methods of stimulation of the inflow is recommended. The necessity of laboratory lithological, petrophysical, geochemical study of the core of the Bazhenov Formation in the southern part of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area is substantiated with the aim of determining its lithological composition, identifying oil source and oil productive intervals, studying the reservoir structure and the nature of saturation of its void space, developing recommendations for calculating oil reserves and creating technology for its cost-effective production.


Oceanography ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-75
Author(s):  
Michel Boufadel ◽  
◽  
Annalisa Bracco ◽  
Eric Chassignet ◽  
Shuyi Chen ◽  
...  

Physical transport processes such as the circulation and mixing of waters largely determine the spatial distribution of materials in the ocean. They also establish the physical environment within which biogeochemical and other processes transform materials, including naturally occurring nutrients and human-made contaminants that may sustain or harm the region’s living resources. Thus, understanding and modeling the transport and distribution of materials provides a crucial substrate for determining the effects of biological, geological, and chemical processes. The wide range of scales in which these physical processes operate includes microscale droplets and bubbles; small-scale turbulence in buoyant plumes and the near-surface “mixed” layer; submesoscale fronts, convergent and divergent flows, and small eddies; larger mesoscale quasi-geostrophic eddies; and the overall large-scale circulation of the Gulf of Mexico and its interaction with the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; along with air-sea interaction on longer timescales. The circulation and mixing processes that operate near the Gulf of Mexico coasts, where most human activities occur, are strongly affected by wind- and river-induced currents and are further modified by the area’s complex topography. Gulf of Mexico physical processes are also characterized by strong linkages between coastal/shelf and deeper offshore waters that determine connectivity to the basin’s interior. This physical connectivity influences the transport of materials among different coastal areas within the Gulf of Mexico and can extend to adjacent basins. Major advances enabled by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative in the observation, understanding, and modeling of all of these aspects of the Gulf’s physical environment are summarized in this article, and key priorities for future work are also identified.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Lamur ◽  
Silvio De Angelis ◽  
Rayco Marrero ◽  
Yan Lavallée ◽  
Pablo J. Gonzalez

<p>Surface water resources on volcanic islands with moderate rainfall and relatively high permeability are usually scarce or non-existent. As such, life and local economies of these islands mostly relies on groundwater exploitation. It is therefore important to characterise the sustainability of volcanic aquifer systems. In short, an aquifer is deemed in equilibrium when the recharge rate equals or exceeds the exploitation rate. The Izaña area in Tenerife Island (Canary Islands, Spain) has been exploited since the 1900s via a series of ~30 horizontal drilling or water galleries coming from both flanks of the NE-Ridge. Since exploitation began, the water table has dropped continuously, in some area even more than 200 m. Since the 2000s, aquifer dynamics (compaction) have been observed using InSAR indicating a subsidence rate of up to 2 cm per year.</p><p>Here, we investigate a suite of rock samples collected. The samples were collected at several water galleries aiming to be representative of the aquifer materials from the Izaña area. We first characterise the basic physical properties of each samples (porosity, permeability, solid density) before quantifying the elastic parameters (Young’s modulus, Poisson ratio) and uniaxial strength of the lithologies collected. We also measure V<sub>p</sub> under dry and wet conditions (i.e. different saturation levels) to assess whether water saturation can alter the velocity of P-waves passing through those rocks.</p><p>Preliminary results show that connected porosities range from 0.16 to 45%, conferring a wide range of mechanical response to increasing effective pressure, with strength ranging from 18 – 315 MPa and Young’s moduli ranging from 3 – 57 GPa. In a similar fashion, results for V<sub>p</sub> measurements also exhibit a range of values (~1.5 – 4.5 km/s). These data show that materials present in the aquifer are extremely varied, suggesting that both fluid flow and observed deformation are likely to be controlled by the weakest, most porous lithologies.</p><p>These results will further be integrated with the lithostratigraphic record of the aquifer in order to model the mechanical response of the aquifer to changes in effective pressures, and specifically pore pressure reduction with water extraction. Additionally, chemical and textural analysis will provide insights on the evolution of the porous network at different alteration levels, here serving as a proxy for time at saturation in the aquifer. Finally, we aim to compare the experimental results from laboratory measurements to those of hydro-geophysical measurements that will be collected in the field starting in mid-2021.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luka Vucinic ◽  
David O'Connell ◽  
Donata Dubber ◽  
Patrice Behan ◽  
Quentin Crowley ◽  
...  

<p>Lowland karst aquifers in Ireland are extremely complex to understand and are considered to be highly vulnerable to pollution (e.g. low-lying karst catchments exhibit a lot of surface water – groundwater interactions which makes them very susceptible to direct contamination). These aquifers are impacted by multiple contamination sources on land (in particular, rural sources from agriculture and on-site domestic wastewater effluent) which makes their protection and management challenging. Human wastewater effluent is identified as significant threat to groundwater quality in such lowland Irish karst environments, since approximately one-third of the population in Ireland is relying on decentralized wastewater treatment systems for the treatment of domestic wastewater. However, it is difficult to distinguish between human wastewater effluent and agricultural pollution impacts on karst aquifers using only traditional water quality parameters or any single environmental tracing method. Hence, the impact of microbial and chemical contaminants of human wastewater origin on groundwater quality must be assessed using a multiple-tracer approach, ideally targeting source-specific tracers. This paper presents an overview of the results obtained during the research conducted throughout the last several years at nine karst catchments in Ireland using a range of methodologies in order to determine and quantify domestic wastewater pollution impacts on karst springs. Microbial pollution was assessed using flow cytometric fingerprinting and faecal indicator bacteria, while chemical pollution impact assessment included the analysis of fluorescent whitening compounds (FWCs; well-known indicators of human contamination since their origin is mostly from laundry detergents), specific anion ratio signatures (Cl/Br), quantification and identification of microplastic particles using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and faecal sterol and stanol profiles and ratios. A thorough analysis of the results obtained using a multiple-tracer approach has been conducted and methodologies have been evaluated in terms of applicability and sensitivity in a range of different karst catchments. The ability of these methodologies and techniques to determine and quantify human faecal pollution impacts on karst springs will be discussed. The results show a significant correlation between microplastic particle counts and detected FWCs signals at different springs, which helps to understand the contribution of household-derived contaminants to this environmental problem. Moreover, our results indicate that faecal sterols and stanols can be useful faecal source tracking method in karst aquifer systems despite the fact that concentrations of sterols and stanols of interest were usually low which makes the interpretation of results challenging.</p>


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