A comparative study of four vulnerability mapping methods in a detritic aquifer under mediterranean climatic conditions

This paper presents the results of a comparative study relating to the application of four vulnerability mapping methods, GOD, AVI, DRASTIC and SINTACS, in a pilot detritic aquifer situated in NW Morocco, known as the Martil–Alila aquifer. The principal objective of this work is to determine the most suitable such methods for this aquifer type within a Mediterranean context, and to show the effect of the rainfall variations that are characteristic of the Mediterranean climate on the degree of vulnerability. The methods applied distinguish five classes of vulnerability, these being irregularly divided up in space, with the division varying according to the method in question. The vulnerability maps obtained by the different methods strongly suggest that the eastern half of the aquifer is more vulnerable to contamination than the western half, for all hydrological situations. The effect of climatic conditions on the degree of vulnerability is well represented by the DRASTIC, according to which the aquifer is moderately to strongly vulnerable during humid hydrological years and weakly to moderately vulnerable during dry ones. For the other methods, this climatic effect is limited to the area occupied by the two predominant classes (“High” and “Low” for GOD and “High” and “Moderate” for SINTACS) while it is null for AVI. In conclusion, DRASTIC appears the most suitable for mapping the vulnerability to contamination of Mediterranean coastal detritic aquifers such as the Martil–Alila aquifer.     

Proposed method for groundwater vulnerability mapping in carbonate (karstic) aquifers: the COP method

The ‘COP method’ has been developed for the assessment of intrinsic vulnerability of carbonate aquifers in the frame of the European COST Action 620. This method uses the properties of overlying layers above the water table (O factor), the concentration of flow (C factor) and precipitation (P factor) over the aquifer, as the parameters to assess the intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater. This method considers karst characteristics, such as the presence of swallow holes (C factor) and their catchment areas as well as karstic landforms, as factors which decrease the natural protection provided by overlying layers (O factor). The P factor allows for consideration of the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation, which is considered the transport agent of contamination. Two carbonate aquifers in the South of Spain, Sierra de Líbar (a conduit flow system) and Torremolinos (a diffuse flow system), have been selected for the application and validation of the method and the results have been compared with three methods widely applied in different aquifers around the world (AVI, GOD and DRASTIC). Comparisons with these methods and validation tools (hydrogeological data and tracer test) show the advantages of the COP method in the assessment of vulnerability of karstic groundwaters.     

越流区开采条件下承压含水层易污染性机理研究——以单井开采为例

地下水易污染性分析是合理开发利用地下水资源、保护地下水环境的一项重要的基础性工作.长期以来针对潜水含水层易污染性的研究进行的较为深入,而对承压含水层易污染性的研究较为少见.同时,易污染性评价方法又以经验方法为主,受人为主观因素影响较大,因此需要通过对承压含水层污染机理进行研究,以减少人为主观因素对评价结果的影响.本文以单井开采承压含水层为例,通过分析承压含水层受污染的原因,以单位面积上越流补给量占开采量的比重为承压含水层易污染性指数,在建立越流区承压水向完整井稳定运动的微分方程的基础上,得到易污染性指数的解析表达式,并分析了各参数对易污染性的影响,使承压含水层易污染性评价有了一定的理论依据,对合理开发利用承压含水层有一定的指导意义.