Groundwater recharge areas of a volcanic aquifer system inferred from hydraulic, hydrogeochemical and stable isotope data: Mount Vulture, southern Italy

Abstract

Environmental isotope techniques, hydrogeochemical analysis and hydraulic data are employed to identify the main recharge areas of the Mt. Vulture hydrogeological basin, one of the most important aquifers of southern Italy. The groundwaters are derived from seepage of rainwater, flowing from the highest to the lowest elevations through the shallow volcanic weathered host-rock fracture zones. Samples of shallow and deep groundwater were collected at 48 locations with elevations ranging from 352 to 1,100m above sea level (a.s.l.), for stable isotope (δ 18 O, δD) and major ion analyses. A complete dataset of available hydraulic information has been integrated with measurements carried out in the present study. Inferred recharge elevations, estimated on the basis of the local vertical isotopic gradient of δ 18 O, range between 550 and 1,200m a.s.l. The isotope pattern of the Quaternary aquifer reflects the spatial separation of different recharge sources. Knowledge of the local hydrogeological setting was the starting point for a detailed hydrogeochemical and isotopic study to define the recharge and discharge patterns identifying the groundwater flow pathways of the Mt. Vulture basin. The integration of all the data allowed for the tracing of the groundwater flows of the Mt. Vulture basin.

Mantle CO2 degassing at Mt. Vulture volcano (Italy): Relationship between CO2 outgassing of volcanoes and the time of their last eruption

“…2; Appendix A), of which 79 are from Paternoster (2005) and Parisi et al (2011aParisi et al ( , 2011b, and 60 are from this work. Data from eight pools located on the volcanic edifice (this work) and two maar lakes (Caracausi et al, 2013b;Nicolosi, 2012) are also evaluated.…”

“…Here we consider the hydrogeological model proposed by Celico and Summa (2004), which is strongly constrained by isotopic data (δD and δ 18 O) of the Mt. Vulture groundwater (Parisi et al, 2011a) and hydrological investigations by Summa (2011).…”

The Source, Flow Rates, and Hydrochemical Evolution of Groundwater in an Alluvial Fan of Qilian Mountain, Northwest China

“…Since recharging waters possess the CFC concentrations in the atmosphere at the time of recharge, a comparison of the concentrations observed in groundwater to the historical concentrations documented for the atmosphere provides insights into groundwater age [27]. In recent years, many investigators have combined hydrogeochemical methods with isotopic and geochemical tracer techniques to determine the source of the groundwater, its rate of migration, its age and residence time, and its geochemical evolution along the subsurface flow path [28][29][30]. An understanding of these parameters is vital for the effective management of groundwater resource.…”

Using hydrochemical and isotopic data to determine sources of recharge and groundwater evolution in an arid region: a case study in the upper–middle reaches of the Shule River basin, northwestern China

“…Combined hydrogeochemical and isotopic studies may help elucidate both the sources of groundwater recharge and groundwater hydrogeochemical evolution processes (Bouchaou et al 2008;Gárfias et al 2010;Parisi et al 2011;Diaw et al 2012). Common methods in this respect include the chloride mass balance method, use of hydrogeochemical tracers (minor or trace metals), and determination of isotopic composition.…”