Fast and cost-effective techniques for hydrogeological modeling are of broad interest for water resources exploitation, especially in remote settings, where hydrogeological measurements are difficult to perform. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)-based techniques are potentially useful for these aims, but their application is still limited. In this study, a field-based approach and UAV-based approach are integrated for the computation of a discrete fracture network model of a fractured aquifer in the Central Alps. Then, calculated directions of the hydraulic conductivity components were compared with a geostatistical analysis of geochemical markers from sampled spring waters, to infer a conceptual model of groundwater flow. The comparison of field-based and UAV-based fracture measurements confirmed a good matching for fracture orientations and recognized a more reliable estimation of fracture dimensions for the UAV-based dataset. Nonetheless, an important variable for hydrogeological modeling—fracture aperture—is not measurable using UAV, as this requires field measurements. The calculated directions of the main conductivities fit well with the analyzed geochemical markers, indicating the presence of two partially separated fractured aquifers and describing their possible groundwater flow paths. The adopted integrated approach confirms UAV-based measurements as a potential tool for characterization of fracture sets as the input for hydrogeological modeling and for a fast and effective surveying tool, reducing time and cost for other following measurements.
We make use of own geological mapping, interpretations of seismic reflection profiles and deep geophysical data to build a lithospheric-scale cross-section across the European Western Southern Alps (Varese area) and to model a progressive restoration from the end of Mesozoic rifting to present-day. Early phases of Alpine orogeny were characterized by Europe-directed thrusting, whereas post-Oligocene shortening led to basement-involving crustal accretion accompanied by backfolding, and consistent with the kinematics of the adjoining Ivrea Zone. Wedging was favored by a significant component of reactivation of the inherited Adriatic rifted margin. Our results also suggest that, during the collisional and post-collisional tectonics, lithosphere dynamics drove diachronically the onset of tectonic phases (i.e., wedging and slab retreat), from east to west, across the Western Southern Alps.
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