Hydrogeological flow in gypsum karst areas: some examples from northern Italy and main circulation models

Abstract

Abstract:A Messinian succession containing gypsum beds crops out in northern Italy, mainly in Piedmont and along the northern flank of the Apennine mountains in Emilia-Romagna. These gypsum bodies have been extensively quarried at the surface, in outcrops, and through underground quarries. In Emilia-Romagna these gypsum outcrops can be rather extensive, several km long and up to 1 km wide, while in Piedmont they are mostly covered by silty-marly deposits of Upper Messinian and Pliocene age and show only sparse and small outcrops. The underground quarrying of these evaporite bodies in Piedmont has allowed studying in detail their hydrogeology, and the ways in which water flows through these karst rocks. In contrast, in Emilia-Romagna the hydrogeology of these aquifers has been studied with traditional spring water monitoring and speleological methods. On the basis of the results it has been possible to define three conceptual models regarding the water circulation in these evaporites, similar to the models existing for carbonate aquifers. The models represent aquifers with decreasing vulnerability to pollution, from the more vulnerable system with dominant conduit drainage, characterizing most of the known gypsum aquifers, to those with interconnected conduit drainage and with dispersive circulation.

Geophysical surveys for non‐invasive characterization of sinkhole phenomena: A case study of Murisengo

“…Due to the presence of huge volumes of Messinian gypsum and evaporite sediments, the area of Monferrato (Piedmont Region, NW Italy) is susceptible to subsidence, collapses and surface karst events (Banzato et al, 2017;Bonetto et al, 2008;Vigna et al, 2010Vigna et al, , 2017.…”

“…Due to the presence of huge volumes of Messinian gypsum and evaporite sediments, the area of Monferrato (Piedmont Region, NW Italy) is susceptible to subsidence, collapses and surface karst events (Banzato et al, 2017; Bonetto et al, 2008; Vigna et al, 2010, 2017). Moreover, many gypsum quarries are located in the area and some of these phenomena might be associated with gypsum exploitation.…”

Investigation of the impacts of tunnel excavation on karst groundwater and dependent geo-environment using hydrological observation and numerical simulation: a case from karst anticline mountains of southeastern Sichuan Basin, China

“…Previous researches on tunnel excavation in karst regions are dominantly focused on the geological disasters such as karst water inrush, surface water leakage, and karst collapse (Iacobellis et al 2015;Vigna et al 2017), while less attention has been paid to the potential disturbances of karst groundwater system caused by the tunnel excavation. Actually, the impacts of tunnel excavation on karst groundwater would be directly reflected in the flow field and hydrodynamic processes (Gisbert et al 2009).…”

Structural control on epigenic gypsum caves: evidences from Messinian evaporites (Northern Apennines, Italy)

“…Numerical models based on the well-known equilibrium chemistry of limestone and dolostone are used to predict fracture enlargement by dissolution due to fluid circulation in karst (Dreybrodt, 1988;White, 1988White, , 2002Fetter, 2000;Gabrovšek et al, 2004;Ford and Williams, 2007). More general models address the relationships between rock fractures, fluid circulation, and karst processes (Kaufmann, 2002(Kaufmann, , 2003Vacher and Mylroie, 2002;Romanov et al, 2003;Gabrovšek et al, 2004;Andre and Rajaram, 2005;Vigna et al, 2017).…”