Investigation of waste disposal areas using electrical methods: a case study from Chania,Crete, Greece

A geophysical investigation of a landfill area was conducted as inextricable phase of a preliminary geotechnical, geological and hydrogeological study of the area under investigation. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), one of the most promising prospecting techniques mainly concerning its effective contribution to resolve several environmental problems, was applied for the geophysical modeling. ERT is a robust imaging method the theory and implementation of which are well documented in geophysical research literature. The survey site is located in Akrotirion Peninsula, about 7 km east of Chania city in Crete I. The geological setting comprises Trypalion limestones, marly limestones and a clayed weathered layer. Cavities are also identified at various scales which are recent tectono-karstic voids. Due to the above-mentioned geological singularity and in the light of the requirement for an environmentally safe construction of the landfill, an ERT survey was carried out. Specifically, seven geoelectrical tomographies were conducted reaching the prospecting depth of 36 m. The resulted images conduced, to overcome geotechnical problems since the spatial distribution of karstic voids was determined, to plan the future sites for waste disposal as the geological conditions were studied in detail and to reliably estimate the thickness of the already deposited wastes. The resulted images were confirmed using available borehole logs and ambient noise measurements.     

Geospatial Investigation into Groundwater Pollution and Water Quality Supported by Satellite Data: A Case Study from the Evros River (Eastern Mediterranean)

Managing water resources, in terms of both quality and quantity, in transboundary rivers is a difficult and challenging task that requires efficient cross-border cooperation and transparency. Groundwater pollution risk assessment and mapping techniques over the full catchment area are important tools that could be used as part of these water resource management efforts, to estimate pollution pressures and optimize land planning processes. The Evros river catchment is the second largest river in Eastern Europe and sustains a population of 3.6 million people in three different countries (Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece). This study provides detailed information on the main pollution sources and pressures in the Evros catchment and, for the first time, applies, assesses and evaluates a groundwater pollution risk mapping technique using satellite observations (Landsat NDVI) and an extensive dataset of field measurements covering different seasons and multiple years. We found that approximately 40 % of the Greek part of the Evros catchment is characterized as of high and very high pollution risk, while 14 % of the study area is classified as of moderate risk. Both the modeled and measured water quality status of the river showed large spatiotemporal variations consistent with the strong anthropogenic pressures in this system, especially on the northern and central segments of the catchment. The pollutants identified illustrate inputs of agrochemicals and urban wastes in the river. High correlation coefficients (R between 0.79 and 0.85) were found between estimated pollution risks and measured concentrations of those chemical parameters that are mainly attributed to anthropogenic activities rather than in situ biogeochemical processes. The pollution risk method described here could be used elsewhere as a decision support tool for mitigating the impact of hazardous human activities and improving management of groundwater resources.     

The hydrological significance of mountains: a regional case study,the Ebro River basin,northeast Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

This study evaluated the hydrological significance of mountain regions, comparing them with the lowlands of the Ebro River basin (northeast Iberian Peninsula). It was based on records obtained from measuring stations. An altitude of 1000 m above mean sea level was adopted as the criterion for distinguishing between lowland and mountain areas. We analysed 12 sub-basins whose rivers flow directly into the River Ebro, and which covered 66% of the total surface area, 91% of the mountain area and accounted for 77% of total annual runoff. For the River Ebro basin, we found that the mean precipitation depth, the runoff volume per unit of surface area, and the runoff coefficient were all greater in the mountains than in the adjacent lowlands, with respective differences of 70%, 180% and 60%. These results and the particular fragility of the Mediterranean mountain ecosystems confirm the mountain regions of the Ebro basin as strategic zones for hydrological and territorial planning.

Citation López, R. & Justribó, C. (2010) The hydrological significance of mountains: a regional case study, the Ebro River basin, northeast Iberian Peninsula. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(2), 223–233.     

Effects of sampling effort on the estimation of spatial gradients in a tropical reservoir impacted by an oil refinery

We investigated the effects of increase in sampling effort (30-1043 sampling points) on the accuracy of assessment of the spatial patterns of surface-water quality in a eutrophic tropical reservoir. The investigation was carried out during the dry season, when previous investigations showed that the spatial heterogeneity is more stable. A multi-parameter Yellow Springs Instruments probe coupled to a TechGeo D-GPS was used. This system is equipped to measure and store in a continuous recording mode, several physical and chemical parameters linked to geographical coordinates obtained with a precision of less than 1 m. We used different geostatistical approaches to determine the optimal number of sampling points required to reflect the real spatial patterns of water quality in the system. This approach was tested in a small tropical reservoir (Ibirité) that receives effluents from an oil refinery (the state-owned REGAP oil refinery, PETROBRAS) located near the city of Belo Horizonte. The study showed not only that the spatial patterns of water quality are significantly affected by sampling effort but also it was demonstrated that the establishment of an adequate sampling program is a critical point for the precise identification of source points of pollution. The results of this investigation enabled us to demonstrate the potential uses and limits of this method for rapid assessment of the water quality of lakes and reservoirs that receive external inputs of water contaminants or nutrients.     

Multiple magnetization events in the Red River carbonates, Williston Basin, Canada: Evidence for fluid-flow?

Samples collected from the Upper Ordovician Red River carbonates in a well at the centre of the Williston Basin revealed two paleomagnetic components with different inclinations, 60.3 ± 3.9° (k = 70.7, N = 12) and 20.4 ± 3.3° (k = 141.2, N = 8), but similar declination values in individual specimens. Inclination-only analysis indicates two possible scenarios for the age of these two magnetizations: in scenario (a) the timing of magnetization happened sometime between Late Ordovician to Devonian; and in scenario (b) there are two different remagnetizations, one that overlaps Pennsylvanian to Permian time while the other can have either a Late Jurassic or a Tertiary age. Whereas dolomitization and some isotopic data tend to support scenario (a), previous paleomagnetic data from the Williston Basin and from younger units in the same well, the tectonic evolution of the basin, and the hydrocarbon maturation pattern in the Red River carbonates all favour chemical remagnetization(s) driven by orogenic fluids during the Alleghenian and Laramide orogenies.     

Impact of the past mining activity in Roşia Montană (Romania) on soil and vegetation

The paper presents the results of a combined soil and vegetation survey in Ro?ia Montan? mining area (western Romania), famous for its gold and silver deposits, extensively exploited over the last 2,000 years. As the ore extraction has ceased in 2006 and new operations could be initiated in the future, the study contributes to the definition of the environmental baseline. Samples of topsoil and leaves of the tree species Betula pendula and Carpinus betulus have been collected from the inside and outside of the mining area, on a total surface of more than 60 km². The pH and heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) have been measured on 262 soils/sediments samples, revealing the predominantly acidic character of soils and the generally low contents of heavy metals. Stronger acidity and higher contents of heavy metals have been noticed in the proximity of the mining site, on the tailings and waste rock dumps, and along the streams with acid water. More than 100 leaf samples have been analysed for the same heavy metals as soils and also for chlorophyll fluorescence and pigment concentrations. B. pendula has shown a particular ability to concentrate Zn in leaves, at levels that may greatly exceed the Zn content in the corresponding soil samples. The correlation between the heavy metal contents in leaves and in soils, in most of the cases, is not very strong, presumably in relation to the low concentrations in soils. The chlorophyll concentration in leaves of B. pendula slightly diminishes on soils with low pH.     

Runoff-generated debris flows: Observation of initiation conditions and erosion–deposition dynamics along the channel at Cancia (eastern Italian Alps)

In the Dolomitic region, abundant coarse hillslope sediment is commonly found at the toe of rocky cliffs. Ephemeral channels originate where lower permeability bedrock surfaces concentrate surface runoff. Debris flows initiate along such channels following intense rainfall and determine the progressive erosion and deepening of the channels. Sediment recharge mechanisms include rock fall, dry ravel processes and channel-bank failures. Here we document debris flow activity that took place in an active debris flow basin during the year 2015. The Cancia basin is located on the southwestern slope of Mount Antelao (3264 m a.s.l.) in the dolomitic region of the eastern Italian Alps. The 2.5 km² basin is incised in dolomitic limestone rocks. The data consist of repeated topographic surveys, distributed rainfall measurements, time-lapse (2 s) videos of two events and pore pressure measurements in the channel bed. During July and August 2015, two debris flow events occurred, following similarly intense rainstorms. We compared rainfall data to existing rainfall triggering thresholds and simulated the hydrological response of the headwater catchment with a distributed model in order to estimate the total and peak water discharge. Our data clearly illustrate how debris entrainment along the channel is the main contributor to the overall mobilized volume and that erosion is dominant when the channel slope exceeds 16°. Further downstream, sediment accumulation and depletion occurred alternately for the two successive events, indicating that sediment availability along the channel also influences the flow behaviour along the prevailing-transport reach. The comparison between monitoring data, topographical analysis and hydrological simulation allows the estimation of the average solid concentration of the two events and suggests that debris availability has a significant influence on the debris flow volume. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.