Effects of climate change on groundwater resources in Campania (southern Italy)

Abstract

In order to estimate the influence of global climate change upon the hydrological regime, variations in the water budget prompted by precipitation and temperature changes were evaluated in the region of Campania (southern Italy). In many parts of the region, precipitation distribution in the last 20 years shows a marked reduction. During the same period, Campania also experienced a regional temperature increase of about 0.3°C. Water budgets, calculated in a geographical information system environment for the region's hydrogeological structures, show a mean decrease of 30% of average infiltration within the present climate scenario. The structures most affected are carbonate aquifers, with the flow of springs being significantly reduced (about 70 m3/s). The most severely affected zones are the mountainous areas in the southern and northern parts of Campania.

Potential climate change impacts on the water balance of regional unconfined aquifer systems in south-western Australia

“…Climate change has already caused a substantial reduction in mean annual rainfall in south-western Australia and a number of other regions during the second half of the 20th century (Ducci and Tranfaglia, 2008;Piao et al, 2010;PMSEIC Independent Working Group, 2007). Almost all GCMs project a further reduction in rainfall in south-western Australia by 2030.…”

“…Although the research on climate change effects on groundwater systems is relatively scarce (Marshall and Randhir, 2007) it is rapidly increasing van Roosmalen et al, 2007van Roosmalen et al, , 2009Goderniaux et al, 2011;Sonnenborg et al, 2012). Some studies have either fully or partly addressed the effects of recent past and projected climate change on groundwater resources using various hydrological, regression, modelling and isotope techniques (Scibek and Allen, 2006;Isaar, 2008;Ducci and Tranfaglia, 2008;Polemio and Casarano, 2009;Sinha and Navada, 2008). Only few studies have applied truly integrated hydrological models that are physically-based and spatially distributed both on the surface and in the subsurface (Goderniaux et al, 2009).…”

“…There is evidence of a temperature increase of 0.74 • C in the average surface temperature of the earth during the 20th century (IPPC, 2007;UNEP, 2007) and a further increase of 1.4 to 5.8 • C by 2100 is projected due to greenhouse gas emissions (McCarthy et al, 2001). The climate change has impacted rainfall in many parts of the world (Ducci and Tranfaglia, 2008) and has caused significant reductions in a number of regions impacting on the availability of both surface and groundwater resources. There is evidence of decline in summer and autumn precipitation in drier northeastern regions of China since 1960 (Piao et al, 2010) and decline in mean annual rainfall in the southwest Western Australia and parts of the southern and eastern Australia during the second half of the 20th century (PM-SEIC Independent Working Group, 2007).…”

Comparison between qualitative rockfall risk rating systems for a road affected by high traffic intensity

“…Examples of unstable blocks impending over the studied road stretch. Ducci and Tranfaglia (2008). For the study area (in the period , average values of the annual precipitation and temperature were 1350 mm yr −1 and 15 • C, respectively, while the average infiltration rate is 450 mm yr −1 (Ducci and Tranfaglia, 2008).…”

“…Ducci and Tranfaglia (2008). For the study area (in the period , average values of the annual precipitation and temperature were 1350 mm yr −1 and 15 • C, respectively, while the average infiltration rate is 450 mm yr −1 (Ducci and Tranfaglia, 2008). In order to rate geomechanical features of discontinuities (such as joint orientations and spacing, rock-quality designation (RQD), apertures, shear strength of discontinuities and so on), needed for calculation of SMR index (coupled in mRHRS), about 40 perpendicular scan lines were carried out by experienced rock-climbing geologists.…”