This paper suggests a method for the estimation of the potential aquifers recharge based on
an in... more This paper suggests a method for the estimation of the potential aquifers recharge based on an innovative GIS procedure. The spatial arrangement of thermo-pluviometric parameters (rainfall and temperature) is performed starting from the data of thermo-pluviometric stations and the definition of the relative linear regression functions depending on altitude. The punctual altitude values, obtained through the DTM transformation in a point shapefile, are used to calculate rainfall and temperature starting from the linear regression functions. These calculated values are useful to estimate the real evapotranspiration and the effective rainfall. The coefficient of potential infiltration and its correction factor, depending on slope and soil use, are mapped through the elaboration of bibliographic data. All created maps are intersected in a single shapefile and the investigated area is subdivided in hexagonal cells. The centroids of these cells are obtained and for them are extracted all information previously elaborated. The values of effective infiltration and surface runoff are calculated for each centroid and the relative maps are obtained by points interpolation. The method is applied to estimate the potential recharge of the Sibari Plain aquifers (southernItaly) considering the whole potential recharge area. The estimated data has a good agreement with the climatic and geological knowledge.
We applied the Small Baseline Subset multi-temporal InSAR technique (SBAS) to two
SAR datasets ac... more We applied the Small Baseline Subset multi-temporal InSAR technique (SBAS) to two SAR datasets acquired from 2003 up to 2013 by Envisat (ESA, European Space Agency) and COSMO-SkyMed (ASI, Italian Space Agency) satellites to investigate spatial and temporal patterns of land subsidence in the Sibari Plain (Southern Italy). Subsidence processes (up to ~20 mm/yr) were investigated comparing geological, hydrogeological, and land use information with interferometric results. We suppose a correlation between subsidence and thickness of the Plio-Quaternary succession suggesting an active role of the isostatic compensation. Furthermore, the active back thrusting in the Corigliano Gulf could trigger a flexural subsidence mechanism even if fault activity and earthquakes do not seem play a role in the present subsidence. In this context, the compaction of Holocene deposits contributes to ground deformation. Despite the rapid urbanization of the area in the last 50 years, we do not consider the intensive groundwater pumping and related water table drop as the main triggering cause of subsidence phenomena, in disagreement with some previous publications. Our interpretation for the deformation fields related to natural and anthropogenic factors would be a comprehensive and exhaustive justification to the complexity of subsidence processes in the Sibari Plain
Rendiconti online Società Geologica Italiana, Feb 1, 2016
This work shows the granulometric, mineralogical and micromorphoscopic data of the Alimini (Lecce... more This work shows the granulometric, mineralogical and micromorphoscopic data of the Alimini (Lecce, Apulia) beach, an important touristic site with a strong erosive rate. Our study demonstrates that the sediments forming the sands are rarely related to the carbonatic rocks outcropping in the area. Rather, they are mainly represented by heavy minerals and quartz of volcanic and metamorphic origin. The presence of peculiar mineral phases as the melanitic garnet points to a provenance from the Vulture volcano. However, the occurrence of quartz, microcline and piralspitic garnets points to a simultaneous feeding from the southern Appenninic units. Sediments are probably eroded and transported by the Ofanto river. The high roundness of the grains witnesses the long transport along the coast and, probably, also the continuous recycle from the dune to the beach and vice versa.
In this work, the shallow geothermal heat-exchange potential of a coastal plain in southern Italy... more In this work, the shallow geothermal heat-exchange potential of a coastal plain in southern Italy, the Sant’Eufemia plain (Calabria region), was evaluated. Stratigraphic and hydrogeological data and thermophysical properties of the main geological formations of the area have been averaged over the first 100 m of subsoil to define the thermal conductivity, the specific heat extraction rates of the ground and the geothermal potential of the area (MWh·y−1) for both cooling and heating modes. The investigation revealed that the crystalline bedrock and the saturated conditions of the sedimentary infill mainly control the heat-exchange potential. The range of the geothermal potential in the investigated Sant’Eufemia plain is 3.61–10.56 MWh·y−1 and 3.72–11.47 MWh·y−1 for heating and cooling purposes, respectively. The average depth drilled to supply a standard domestic power demand of 5.0 kW is ~90 m for heating and ~81 m for cooling modes. The different depth also drives the final drillin...
Coastal areas worldwide are the result of a weak balance between man and the natural environment.... more Coastal areas worldwide are the result of a weak balance between man and the natural environment. They are exposed to strong anthropogenic pressure and natural hazard events whose intensity has increased in recent decades. In this frame, the satellite and drone monitoring systems as well as field survey are key tools to learn about the factors responsible for coastal changes. Here we describe the formation and dismantling of a fan delta at Sfalassà Stream mouth, Calabria Region (Southern Italy) to shed light on the environmental drivers modelling this coast. The flood event of 2 November 2015 placed approximately 25,000 m3 of coarse sand and gravel sediments in a few hours forming a fan-shaped delta, while three main storm surges, occurring from November 2015 to January 2016, caused its dismantling. Sentinel 2 images and several photographs captured the gradual erosion of fan delta highlighting its complete dismantling in about 3 months. The eroded sediments only partially feed the ...
<p>The Gioia Tauro plain (GTP) is an industrialized and agricultural coasta... more <p>The Gioia Tauro plain (GTP) is an industrialized and agricultural coastal area of about 500 km<sup>2</sup> in the Tyrrhenian side of Calabria. Its harbour is one of the most important container traffic hubs in the Mediterranean basin. The GTP groundwater resources are constantly at risk of depletion and quality degradation due to anthropic activities.</p><p>GTP is a half-graben bounded by two massifs. The boundaries are marked by three main fault systems: the Nicotera-Gioiosa fault zone, NW-SE striking and right lateral kinematics along the north boundary; the NNE-SSW Cittanova Fault, a high-angle normal and active fault along the eastern border; the Palmi-Locri fault zone with NW-SE trend and a mainly strike-slip kinematics along the south boundary. The GTP sedimentary infill is made by an upper Miocene siliciclastic and carbonate succession overlays by Pliocene marly-limestone rhytmites and Piacenzian-Calabrian sandstones and calcarenites with interbedded 20m thick volcaniclastic deposits. Upward, the sedimentary infill continues with alluvial (in eastern and middle sector) and coastal (in the western sector) deposits.</p><p>Six geochemical facies of groundwater were distinguished, with different salinities and temperatures (Italiano et al., 2010). The majority of samples is of cold shallow groundwater and shows Ca-HCO<sub>3</sub>, Ca(Mg-Na)-HCO<sub>3</sub>(Cl-SO<sub>4</sub>) and Na-HCO<sub>3</sub> composition and overall low salinities (TDS <1g / L). Only few samples, with Na-SO<sub>4</sub> and Na-Cl composition, show high salinity (TDS <3.5g / L) and temperature (above 20 ° C). These latter occur in the northern portion of the plain, near the intersection of the Palmi-Gioia Tauro and Nicotera-Gioiosa faults systems, and in the southern sector, near Palmi town.</p><p>It was created a geodatabase using data of hundreds of boreholes, geotechnical and geophysical investigations. Furthermore, it is carrying out a geological and geophysical survey along the plain boundaries using passive seismic technique to infer the deep of discontinuities among the main geological units described above. The acquired data allowed to identify: i) the shallow aquifer, made by Pleistocene-Holocene deposits characterized by complex lateral variations; ii) at the bottom, the aquitard, represented by Pliocene marls; iii) the deep aquifer, consisting of the upper Miocene succession. The highest thickness of shallow aquifer (more than 200 m) is observed in the middle GTP sector. The thickness variation is strictly related to the NE-SW high angle normal faults which cross the GTP. The ongoing geological, geochemical, and geophysical surveys will allow: i) to identify the geometry of the hydrogeological units; ii) to define the hydrogeological features of the groundwater systems useful for modelling purposes, and iii) to improve the knowledge of water rock interactions processes (e.g., relations between deep and shallow waters, anthropogenic effects, seawater intrusion) for management purposes.</p><p>Italiano, F. et al. 2010. Geochemistry of fluids discharged over the seismic area of the Southern Apennines (Calabria region, Southern Italy): Implications for fluid-fault relationships. Appl. Geochem. 25, 540–554.</p>
Coastal areas are more and more exposed to the effects of climatic change. Intense local rainfall... more Coastal areas are more and more exposed to the effects of climatic change. Intense local rainfalls increases the frequency of flash floods and/or flow-like subaerial and afterward submarine landslides. The overall phenomenon of flash flood is complex and involves different phases strongly connected: heavy precipitations in a short period of time, soil erosion, fan deltas forming at mouth and hyperpycnal flows and/or landslides occurrence. Such interrelated phases were separately modelled for simulation purposes by different computational models: Partial Differential Equations methods for weather forecasts and sediment production estimation and Cellular Automata for soil erosion by rainfall and subaerial sediment transport and deposit. Our aim is to complete the model for the last phase of final sediment outcome. This research starts from the results of the previous models and introduces the processes concerning the demolition of fan deltas by sea waves during a sea-storm and the sub...
In this study, we analysed the Gioia Tauro Plain (Tyrrhenian coast, southern Italy) in terms of h... more In this study, we analysed the Gioia Tauro Plain (Tyrrhenian coast, southern Italy) in terms of hydrostratigraphy and the physicochemical status of groundwater. We investigated the hydrostratigraphic framework of the area identifying a deep aquifer (made by late Miocene succession), an aquitard (consisting of Pliocene clayey and silty deposits) and a shallow aquifer (including Late Pleistocene and Holocene marine and alluvial sediments) using subsoil data (boreholes and geophysics). Our reconstruction showed that the structural geology controls the spatial pattern of the aquitard top and the shallow aquifer thickness. Furthermore, we evaluated the hydraulic conductivity for the shallow aquifer using an empirical method, calibrated by slug tests, obtaining values ranging from 10−4 to 10−5 m/s with a maximum of 10−3 m/s located close to inland dune fields. The piezometric level of the shallow aquifer recorded a significant drop between the 1970s and 2021 (−35 m as the worst value). It...
Abstract This paper presents the results of a geophysical investigation aimed to illustrate the a... more Abstract This paper presents the results of a geophysical investigation aimed to illustrate the architecture of the shallow stratigraphic horizons across an area believed to be crossed by a NW-SE trending trascurrent fault called the Lamezia Terme-Catanzaro Fault. In spite of the available information on fault segments and tectonic activity associated with faulting, the local scale fault characteristics are currently poorly known and the surface displacements are difficult to detect in a such a densely populated area. A traditional integrated geophysical exploration method was proposed as an effective solution to assist in the location of structures in the subsurface where surface geological and morphological evidence is inconclusive in terms of defining the location and the potential of the local seismogenic sources, responsible for recurrent catastrophic earthquakes. Two active High Resolution (HR) seismic reflection/refraction profiles were acquired using an array of vertical geophones with a Swept Impact Seismic Source (VibSist-500) in order to obtain seismic imaging of the subsurface of the study area. Additionally, passive Microtremor Array Method (MAM), deep wells and commercial seismic profiles were used to better constrain the geological trend of deeper seismostrata. The integrated interpretation of both geophysical and geological data allowed to infer subsurface pictures of the investigated areas identifying the depth of the seismic bedrock and characterizing the buried morphology, enhancing lineaments with possible relevance to faults. Discontinuities in the main horizons in seismic sections indicate that faulting is present in a Pliocene unit and may extend to the shallow subsurface in Quaternary sediments. The results of this study can provide a basis for earthquake prevention and construction work and demonstrate the applicability of the seismic methods to explore buried hidden faults in the perspective of applications on studies of physical stratigraphy of syn-tectonic deposits.
This paper suggests a method for the estimation of the potential aquifers recharge based on
an in... more This paper suggests a method for the estimation of the potential aquifers recharge based on an innovative GIS procedure. The spatial arrangement of thermo-pluviometric parameters (rainfall and temperature) is performed starting from the data of thermo-pluviometric stations and the definition of the relative linear regression functions depending on altitude. The punctual altitude values, obtained through the DTM transformation in a point shapefile, are used to calculate rainfall and temperature starting from the linear regression functions. These calculated values are useful to estimate the real evapotranspiration and the effective rainfall. The coefficient of potential infiltration and its correction factor, depending on slope and soil use, are mapped through the elaboration of bibliographic data. All created maps are intersected in a single shapefile and the investigated area is subdivided in hexagonal cells. The centroids of these cells are obtained and for them are extracted all information previously elaborated. The values of effective infiltration and surface runoff are calculated for each centroid and the relative maps are obtained by points interpolation. The method is applied to estimate the potential recharge of the Sibari Plain aquifers (southernItaly) considering the whole potential recharge area. The estimated data has a good agreement with the climatic and geological knowledge.
We applied the Small Baseline Subset multi-temporal InSAR technique (SBAS) to two
SAR datasets ac... more We applied the Small Baseline Subset multi-temporal InSAR technique (SBAS) to two SAR datasets acquired from 2003 up to 2013 by Envisat (ESA, European Space Agency) and COSMO-SkyMed (ASI, Italian Space Agency) satellites to investigate spatial and temporal patterns of land subsidence in the Sibari Plain (Southern Italy). Subsidence processes (up to ~20 mm/yr) were investigated comparing geological, hydrogeological, and land use information with interferometric results. We suppose a correlation between subsidence and thickness of the Plio-Quaternary succession suggesting an active role of the isostatic compensation. Furthermore, the active back thrusting in the Corigliano Gulf could trigger a flexural subsidence mechanism even if fault activity and earthquakes do not seem play a role in the present subsidence. In this context, the compaction of Holocene deposits contributes to ground deformation. Despite the rapid urbanization of the area in the last 50 years, we do not consider the intensive groundwater pumping and related water table drop as the main triggering cause of subsidence phenomena, in disagreement with some previous publications. Our interpretation for the deformation fields related to natural and anthropogenic factors would be a comprehensive and exhaustive justification to the complexity of subsidence processes in the Sibari Plain
Rendiconti online Società Geologica Italiana, Feb 1, 2016
This work shows the granulometric, mineralogical and micromorphoscopic data of the Alimini (Lecce... more This work shows the granulometric, mineralogical and micromorphoscopic data of the Alimini (Lecce, Apulia) beach, an important touristic site with a strong erosive rate. Our study demonstrates that the sediments forming the sands are rarely related to the carbonatic rocks outcropping in the area. Rather, they are mainly represented by heavy minerals and quartz of volcanic and metamorphic origin. The presence of peculiar mineral phases as the melanitic garnet points to a provenance from the Vulture volcano. However, the occurrence of quartz, microcline and piralspitic garnets points to a simultaneous feeding from the southern Appenninic units. Sediments are probably eroded and transported by the Ofanto river. The high roundness of the grains witnesses the long transport along the coast and, probably, also the continuous recycle from the dune to the beach and vice versa.
In this work, the shallow geothermal heat-exchange potential of a coastal plain in southern Italy... more In this work, the shallow geothermal heat-exchange potential of a coastal plain in southern Italy, the Sant’Eufemia plain (Calabria region), was evaluated. Stratigraphic and hydrogeological data and thermophysical properties of the main geological formations of the area have been averaged over the first 100 m of subsoil to define the thermal conductivity, the specific heat extraction rates of the ground and the geothermal potential of the area (MWh·y−1) for both cooling and heating modes. The investigation revealed that the crystalline bedrock and the saturated conditions of the sedimentary infill mainly control the heat-exchange potential. The range of the geothermal potential in the investigated Sant’Eufemia plain is 3.61–10.56 MWh·y−1 and 3.72–11.47 MWh·y−1 for heating and cooling purposes, respectively. The average depth drilled to supply a standard domestic power demand of 5.0 kW is ~90 m for heating and ~81 m for cooling modes. The different depth also drives the final drillin...
Coastal areas worldwide are the result of a weak balance between man and the natural environment.... more Coastal areas worldwide are the result of a weak balance between man and the natural environment. They are exposed to strong anthropogenic pressure and natural hazard events whose intensity has increased in recent decades. In this frame, the satellite and drone monitoring systems as well as field survey are key tools to learn about the factors responsible for coastal changes. Here we describe the formation and dismantling of a fan delta at Sfalassà Stream mouth, Calabria Region (Southern Italy) to shed light on the environmental drivers modelling this coast. The flood event of 2 November 2015 placed approximately 25,000 m3 of coarse sand and gravel sediments in a few hours forming a fan-shaped delta, while three main storm surges, occurring from November 2015 to January 2016, caused its dismantling. Sentinel 2 images and several photographs captured the gradual erosion of fan delta highlighting its complete dismantling in about 3 months. The eroded sediments only partially feed the ...
<p>The Gioia Tauro plain (GTP) is an industrialized and agricultural coasta... more <p>The Gioia Tauro plain (GTP) is an industrialized and agricultural coastal area of about 500 km<sup>2</sup> in the Tyrrhenian side of Calabria. Its harbour is one of the most important container traffic hubs in the Mediterranean basin. The GTP groundwater resources are constantly at risk of depletion and quality degradation due to anthropic activities.</p><p>GTP is a half-graben bounded by two massifs. The boundaries are marked by three main fault systems: the Nicotera-Gioiosa fault zone, NW-SE striking and right lateral kinematics along the north boundary; the NNE-SSW Cittanova Fault, a high-angle normal and active fault along the eastern border; the Palmi-Locri fault zone with NW-SE trend and a mainly strike-slip kinematics along the south boundary. The GTP sedimentary infill is made by an upper Miocene siliciclastic and carbonate succession overlays by Pliocene marly-limestone rhytmites and Piacenzian-Calabrian sandstones and calcarenites with interbedded 20m thick volcaniclastic deposits. Upward, the sedimentary infill continues with alluvial (in eastern and middle sector) and coastal (in the western sector) deposits.</p><p>Six geochemical facies of groundwater were distinguished, with different salinities and temperatures (Italiano et al., 2010). The majority of samples is of cold shallow groundwater and shows Ca-HCO<sub>3</sub>, Ca(Mg-Na)-HCO<sub>3</sub>(Cl-SO<sub>4</sub>) and Na-HCO<sub>3</sub> composition and overall low salinities (TDS <1g / L). Only few samples, with Na-SO<sub>4</sub> and Na-Cl composition, show high salinity (TDS <3.5g / L) and temperature (above 20 ° C). These latter occur in the northern portion of the plain, near the intersection of the Palmi-Gioia Tauro and Nicotera-Gioiosa faults systems, and in the southern sector, near Palmi town.</p><p>It was created a geodatabase using data of hundreds of boreholes, geotechnical and geophysical investigations. Furthermore, it is carrying out a geological and geophysical survey along the plain boundaries using passive seismic technique to infer the deep of discontinuities among the main geological units described above. The acquired data allowed to identify: i) the shallow aquifer, made by Pleistocene-Holocene deposits characterized by complex lateral variations; ii) at the bottom, the aquitard, represented by Pliocene marls; iii) the deep aquifer, consisting of the upper Miocene succession. The highest thickness of shallow aquifer (more than 200 m) is observed in the middle GTP sector. The thickness variation is strictly related to the NE-SW high angle normal faults which cross the GTP. The ongoing geological, geochemical, and geophysical surveys will allow: i) to identify the geometry of the hydrogeological units; ii) to define the hydrogeological features of the groundwater systems useful for modelling purposes, and iii) to improve the knowledge of water rock interactions processes (e.g., relations between deep and shallow waters, anthropogenic effects, seawater intrusion) for management purposes.</p><p>Italiano, F. et al. 2010. Geochemistry of fluids discharged over the seismic area of the Southern Apennines (Calabria region, Southern Italy): Implications for fluid-fault relationships. Appl. Geochem. 25, 540–554.</p>
Coastal areas are more and more exposed to the effects of climatic change. Intense local rainfall... more Coastal areas are more and more exposed to the effects of climatic change. Intense local rainfalls increases the frequency of flash floods and/or flow-like subaerial and afterward submarine landslides. The overall phenomenon of flash flood is complex and involves different phases strongly connected: heavy precipitations in a short period of time, soil erosion, fan deltas forming at mouth and hyperpycnal flows and/or landslides occurrence. Such interrelated phases were separately modelled for simulation purposes by different computational models: Partial Differential Equations methods for weather forecasts and sediment production estimation and Cellular Automata for soil erosion by rainfall and subaerial sediment transport and deposit. Our aim is to complete the model for the last phase of final sediment outcome. This research starts from the results of the previous models and introduces the processes concerning the demolition of fan deltas by sea waves during a sea-storm and the sub...
In this study, we analysed the Gioia Tauro Plain (Tyrrhenian coast, southern Italy) in terms of h... more In this study, we analysed the Gioia Tauro Plain (Tyrrhenian coast, southern Italy) in terms of hydrostratigraphy and the physicochemical status of groundwater. We investigated the hydrostratigraphic framework of the area identifying a deep aquifer (made by late Miocene succession), an aquitard (consisting of Pliocene clayey and silty deposits) and a shallow aquifer (including Late Pleistocene and Holocene marine and alluvial sediments) using subsoil data (boreholes and geophysics). Our reconstruction showed that the structural geology controls the spatial pattern of the aquitard top and the shallow aquifer thickness. Furthermore, we evaluated the hydraulic conductivity for the shallow aquifer using an empirical method, calibrated by slug tests, obtaining values ranging from 10−4 to 10−5 m/s with a maximum of 10−3 m/s located close to inland dune fields. The piezometric level of the shallow aquifer recorded a significant drop between the 1970s and 2021 (−35 m as the worst value). It...
Abstract This paper presents the results of a geophysical investigation aimed to illustrate the a... more Abstract This paper presents the results of a geophysical investigation aimed to illustrate the architecture of the shallow stratigraphic horizons across an area believed to be crossed by a NW-SE trending trascurrent fault called the Lamezia Terme-Catanzaro Fault. In spite of the available information on fault segments and tectonic activity associated with faulting, the local scale fault characteristics are currently poorly known and the surface displacements are difficult to detect in a such a densely populated area. A traditional integrated geophysical exploration method was proposed as an effective solution to assist in the location of structures in the subsurface where surface geological and morphological evidence is inconclusive in terms of defining the location and the potential of the local seismogenic sources, responsible for recurrent catastrophic earthquakes. Two active High Resolution (HR) seismic reflection/refraction profiles were acquired using an array of vertical geophones with a Swept Impact Seismic Source (VibSist-500) in order to obtain seismic imaging of the subsurface of the study area. Additionally, passive Microtremor Array Method (MAM), deep wells and commercial seismic profiles were used to better constrain the geological trend of deeper seismostrata. The integrated interpretation of both geophysical and geological data allowed to infer subsurface pictures of the investigated areas identifying the depth of the seismic bedrock and characterizing the buried morphology, enhancing lineaments with possible relevance to faults. Discontinuities in the main horizons in seismic sections indicate that faulting is present in a Pliocene unit and may extend to the shallow subsurface in Quaternary sediments. The results of this study can provide a basis for earthquake prevention and construction work and demonstrate the applicability of the seismic methods to explore buried hidden faults in the perspective of applications on studies of physical stratigraphy of syn-tectonic deposits.
Rendiconti online della Società Geologica Italiana, 2016
Geochemical study allowed to recognize four groups of groundwater for the Sibari Plain (Southern ... more Geochemical study allowed to recognize four groups of groundwater for the Sibari Plain (Southern Italy): Ca–HCO3, Na–Cl, Ca–Cl and Na–HCO3. Chloride-rich waters are located close to the Crati mouth that could be a preferential path for seawater ingression. In fact, seawater and brackish waters could move inland along the stream channel and enter the nearby aquifers due to excessive pumping of wells positioned near the river. In alternative, the occurrence of processes, such as ion exchange or dissolution of halite-bearing Miocene evaporite deposits can generate aqueous solutions with similar characteristics to those produced by seawater ingression. Moreover, was calculated the infiltration average (Hi, m a.s.l.) for groundwater of the Sibari Plain by the following equations:The data showed a lower average of the infiltrations in the inner part of the Sibari Plain, with values between 550 and 870 m a.s.l., and higher values (1000/1500 m a.s.l.) moving to NW and SE.
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an innovative GIS procedure. The spatial arrangement of thermo-pluviometric parameters
(rainfall and temperature) is performed starting from the data of thermo-pluviometric
stations and the definition of the relative linear regression functions depending on altitude.
The punctual altitude values, obtained through the DTM transformation in a point shapefile,
are used to calculate rainfall and temperature starting from the linear regression functions.
These calculated values are useful to estimate the real evapotranspiration and the effective
rainfall. The coefficient of potential infiltration and its correction factor, depending on slope
and soil use, are mapped through the elaboration of bibliographic data. All created maps are
intersected in a single shapefile and the investigated area is subdivided in hexagonal cells.
The centroids of these cells are obtained and for them are extracted all information
previously elaborated. The values of effective infiltration and surface runoff are calculated
for each centroid and the relative maps are obtained by points interpolation. The method is
applied to estimate the potential recharge of the Sibari Plain aquifers (southernItaly)
considering the whole potential recharge area. The estimated data has a good agreement
with the climatic and geological knowledge.
SAR datasets acquired from 2003 up to 2013 by Envisat (ESA, European Space Agency) and
COSMO-SkyMed (ASI, Italian Space Agency) satellites to investigate spatial and temporal patterns
of land subsidence in the Sibari Plain (Southern Italy). Subsidence processes (up to ~20 mm/yr) were
investigated comparing geological, hydrogeological, and land use information with interferometric
results. We suppose a correlation between subsidence and thickness of the Plio-Quaternary
succession suggesting an active role of the isostatic compensation. Furthermore, the active back
thrusting in the Corigliano Gulf could trigger a flexural subsidence mechanism even if fault activity
and earthquakes do not seem play a role in the present subsidence. In this context, the compaction
of Holocene deposits contributes to ground deformation. Despite the rapid urbanization of the area
in the last 50 years, we do not consider the intensive groundwater pumping and related water table
drop as the main triggering cause of subsidence phenomena, in disagreement with some previous
publications. Our interpretation for the deformation fields related to natural and anthropogenic
factors would be a comprehensive and exhaustive justification to the complexity of subsidence
processes in the Sibari Plain
Papers
an innovative GIS procedure. The spatial arrangement of thermo-pluviometric parameters
(rainfall and temperature) is performed starting from the data of thermo-pluviometric
stations and the definition of the relative linear regression functions depending on altitude.
The punctual altitude values, obtained through the DTM transformation in a point shapefile,
are used to calculate rainfall and temperature starting from the linear regression functions.
These calculated values are useful to estimate the real evapotranspiration and the effective
rainfall. The coefficient of potential infiltration and its correction factor, depending on slope
and soil use, are mapped through the elaboration of bibliographic data. All created maps are
intersected in a single shapefile and the investigated area is subdivided in hexagonal cells.
The centroids of these cells are obtained and for them are extracted all information
previously elaborated. The values of effective infiltration and surface runoff are calculated
for each centroid and the relative maps are obtained by points interpolation. The method is
applied to estimate the potential recharge of the Sibari Plain aquifers (southernItaly)
considering the whole potential recharge area. The estimated data has a good agreement
with the climatic and geological knowledge.
SAR datasets acquired from 2003 up to 2013 by Envisat (ESA, European Space Agency) and
COSMO-SkyMed (ASI, Italian Space Agency) satellites to investigate spatial and temporal patterns
of land subsidence in the Sibari Plain (Southern Italy). Subsidence processes (up to ~20 mm/yr) were
investigated comparing geological, hydrogeological, and land use information with interferometric
results. We suppose a correlation between subsidence and thickness of the Plio-Quaternary
succession suggesting an active role of the isostatic compensation. Furthermore, the active back
thrusting in the Corigliano Gulf could trigger a flexural subsidence mechanism even if fault activity
and earthquakes do not seem play a role in the present subsidence. In this context, the compaction
of Holocene deposits contributes to ground deformation. Despite the rapid urbanization of the area
in the last 50 years, we do not consider the intensive groundwater pumping and related water table
drop as the main triggering cause of subsidence phenomena, in disagreement with some previous
publications. Our interpretation for the deformation fields related to natural and anthropogenic
factors would be a comprehensive and exhaustive justification to the complexity of subsidence
processes in the Sibari Plain