Climatic Characterization and Response of Water Resources to Climate Change in Limestone Areas: Considerations on the Importance of Geological Setting
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 18, Issue 7
Abstract
This work analyzes the response of springs fed by karst/fractured limestone aquifers, which extensively outcrop in central Italy, to climatic variations. In the central Italy area, climatic variations are represented by a general decrease in annual and winter precipitation. It is shown how groundwater regime, the discharge of springs, and their response to climate change depend to a great extent on the geologic and structural setting of the system. Some mountain springs of central Italy are local systems representing the overflow of a deeper regional flow feeding larger base springs, often of poor quality. A dynamic groundwater divide separates the recharge areas of base springs from those of local springs: if, due to low recharge, the piezometric surface lowers, the watershed moves toward systems located at higher altitudes, reducing their recharge areas. Therefore, local springs connected to a base flow are more vulnerable to climate change than those which are not. The Bagnara and Lupa springs, taken as examples, have similar mean discharges (approximately ) and recharge areas with comparable lithological, topographical, and climate characteristics. Nevertheless, only the discharge of Bagnara, which is connected to a regional flow, fell dramatically during recent prolonged drought periods (e.g., 2001–2003 and 2006–2007).
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Acknowledgments
The study was funded by PRIN-08 (YYZKEE). The authors wish to thank Umbra Acque, ARPA Umbria, and the Consorzio Idrico Intercomunale del Piceno for spring discharge data.
Data used to build the base map of Fig. 1 are available from the U.S. Geological Survey (EROS).
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 18 • Issue 7 • July 2013
Pages: 773 - 779
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 30, 2011
Accepted: Jun 4, 2012
Published online: Aug 4, 2012
Published in print: Jul 1, 2013
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