The availability of freshwater resources in mountain areas has been affected by climate change impacts on groundwater storage mechanisms. As a web of complex interactions characterizes climate systems, understanding how water storage conditions have changed in response to climate-driven factors in different Italian contexts is becoming increasingly crucial. In order to comprehend the relationship between changes in weather conditions and water availability in the Aosta Valley region and how their trends have changed over the last decade, a 7-year discharge series of different Aosta Valley springs (Promise, Alpe Perrot, Promiod, Cheserod) and precipitation data are analysed. Precipitation and flow rate trends using the Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope trend detection tests were also performed. Not all of the Aosta Valley mountain springs detected seem to respond to the climate variation with a decrease in their stored water resources. Unlike Promiod, Alpe Perrot, Cheserod, and Promise springs have experienced an increase in water discharged amount during the detected 7-year period. This behavior occurs despite the available precipitation data for the associated Sant Vincent, Aymaville-Viayes, La Thuile-Villaret, Champdepraz meteorological stations revealing an overall decreasing trend in annual rainfall (mm), with a slight increase in intensity (mm/day) as a result of the reduction in rainfall events (number of rainy days).
Groundwater resource assessment and forecasting in mountain areas requires the monitoring of two conditions, local meteorological conditions, and springs’ groundwater parameters. The reliability of the monitoring data and conditions are linked to the technical instrumentation, multiparametric probes, and sensors. This paper presents a set of attractive tools and sensors for springs’ groundwater resource monitoring and assessment in mountain basins. Data from the combination of weather station sensors with spring flow-rate instruments, installed in the alpine Mascognaz basin, can guarantee an entire understanding of how one set of parameters can affect other results, defining consequential cause-and-effect relationships. Since a large part of the Alpine groundwater bodies are exploited for drinking purposes, understanding the evolution of their rechange processes requires making the right economic and instrumental investments aimed at using them according to forecast predictions and sustainable development goals.
Shallow landslides are induced by extreme hydrological events or by events of medium intensity but prolonged over time. Such slips involve generally limited portions of land; however, they are dangerous due to the absence of warning signals and the lack of knowledge regarding their possible evolution. The aim of this paper is to study the evolution of shallow landslides affected by snowmelt and rainfall and to compare the observations done in situ by means of a statistical analysis of meteorological variables with those made in the laboratory. Few authors have addressed the role of snow to slope instabilities, nevertheless, in the context of ongoing climate change, the study of glacier and snow melt must be further explored. For this reason, this work deals with the study of in situ seasonal processes observed at a mountain closed basin nearby Champoluc in Aosta Valley region. To understand and to improve triggering threshold in snowy region, snowmelt and meteorological analyses were carried out by means of a cutting-edge weather and snowpack station. All the available data have been examined with a series of statistical analysis to define snow melting trends in relation to meteorological conditions. After that, some tests were performed at GAP2 Lecco laboratory taking into account the onsite observations to evaluate the consequence of studied atmospheric conditions on a downscaled reproduced slope covered by snow. Therefore, it was possible to observe the direct interaction between soil and snow and how infiltration process takes place under settled conditions.
<p>Shallow landslides are phenomena involving small parts of land and are triggered by huge intensity rainfall events of short duration or more moderate but prolonged over time. The area and thickness of such slips are typically reduced, but they are still harmful because there are no warning signs and no information on their possible evolution.</p> <p>Since the middle of the 20th century, heavy precipitation events have been more frequent and intense. In light of the current climate crisis, it is crucial to thoroughly examine the effects of these occurrences in order to establish triggering thresholds in mountain regions. &#160;</p> <p>This work deals with the experimental study of these landslides through the laboratory simulations on a small-scale slope, reproduced at the Gap2 lab of the Lecco Campus.&#160; Different experiments have been performed reproducing the seasonal conditions of the slopes. In particular, extreme rainfall events, soil conditions with different volumetric water content percentages were compared with moderate rainfall events in order to assess the different timing of landslide triggering.</p> <p>To investigate the behaviour of surface landslides under these conditions and to visualise in detail the processes related to water circulation, a multidisciplinary approach was adopted that consist of observations using geological, geophysical and photogrammetric methodologies and instrumentation. These technologies include modified pressure transmitters for the pore water pressure evaluation, GoPro&#8217;s cameras, TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) for the volumetric water content evaluation and a georesistivimeter (IRIS Syscal Pro). In this way hydrogeological processes can be deeply analysed from different perspectives and can highlight peculiarities and assess in detail their evolution leading to collapse.</p> <p>Through the information obtained from geophysics, it is possible to visualise the formation of cracks within the landslide body in advance, also allowing considerations regarding the different water contributions of the simulated rainfall and the initial water content in the soil. The experimental results were then compared with a mathematical model.</p>
<p>Mountain aquifers represent one of the largest and most valuable water sources, necessary to meet the population's water needs. Over time, they have been threatened by huge anthropogenic exploitation activities, which are currently leading to the depletion of aquifers in many regions worldwide. Furthermore, the vulnerability of groundwater resources is rapidly increasing due to climate change, urbanization, massive industry production, intensive agriculture, and breeding.</p><p>Knowledge and forecasting about groundwater flow systems are required to guarantee proper management and territorial planning strategies, according to the mountain environmental evolution taking place. Besides, examining how groundwater storage mechanisms in different regions have changed in response to both climate-driven and anthropogenic effects is becoming increasingly crucial.</p><p>In remote alpine areas, continuous monitoring and data collection of springs&#8217; hydrogeological parameters is still often hampered by technical and logistical problems. In these contexts, new automated techniques and tools need to be applied to monitor springs&#8217; hydrogeological parameters, punctually understanding the dynamics of exhausting of the available groundwater resources.</p><p>The instrumentation and sensors complex, installed in correspondence with the Mascognaz spring basin (Aosta Valley, Italy) allows detailed analyses of the surface and underground groundwater system, recording continuously hydrogeological variables entering and leaving the spring recharge system. A cutting-edge weather station was here combined with a spring monitoring system through snowpack-hydrometeorological sensors installation. This setup, composed of a snow scale, ultrasonic and laser sensors for snow weight and snow depth reading, provides the possibility of a detailed study of the snow layer evolution during each season. Besides, a multiparametric probe allows water discharge, temperature and electric conductivity values detection.</p><p>The high quality of the data provided and the small-size basin features have permitted highlighting the variables affecting the system and standing out those are evolving in time. Besides, the relationship between changes in weather conditions and water availability can be defined by performing correlations between different hydrogeological and meteorological available data series.</p><p>The Mascognaz spring&#8217;s pilot site could be helpful as an example for other researchers and authorities who need to identify suitable instruments, sensors and methods to reconstruct the groundwater flow system and hydrogeological structure of a mountain basin.</p>
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