Salt ground waters in the Salento karstic coastal aquifer (Apulia, Southern Italy)

Characterization of the lowland coastal aquifer of Comacchio (Ferrara, Italy): Hydrology, hydrochemistry and evolution of the system

“…Though, besides present seawater, groundwater salinization can result from other natural salt sources or from human activities (Cartwright et al, 2004;Custodio, 1997;Fakir et al, 2002;Richter and Kreitler, 1993;Sanchez-Martos et al, 2002;Stuyfzand and Stuurman, 1994;Tellam, 1995;Tulipano et al, 2005). The most relevant salt sources/processes recognized worldwide are: evaporation, evaporite leaching, mobilization of salts stored in the unsaturated zone, infiltration of non-marine polluted surface waters, slow-moving saline/salt waters of marine origin (Barbecot et al, 2000;Darling et al, 1997;Fidelibus and Tulipano, 1996;Ng and Jones, 1995), highly mineralized waters from geothermal fields (Fidelibus et al, 2011a), sea spray, hyper-filtration, agricultural practices (return flow, use of fertilizers and irrigation with treated wastewater), cycling wetting and drying. Mixing processes with present seawater and/or saline ground waters are normally enhanced by human actions as over-exploitation (causing lateral seawater intrusion and/or upconing), presence of drainage systems for land reclamation, and construction of navigation channels along rivers or artificial canals (Barlow and Reichard, 2010;Custodio, 2010;Fidelibus et al, 2011b;Kass et al, 2005).…”

Assessing Natural Background Levels in the Groundwater Bodies of the Apulia Region (Southern Italy)

“…This is the case of the deep groundwater flux exchanges that occur along the main tectonic elements as an effect of the Apennine convergence towards the Apulia foreland giving rise to upward flow of warm waters drained by springs [38,39]. Previous studies revealed that the chemical and isotopic features of salt groundwater, sampled in different point of the Apulian karstic aquifers or drained from coastal springs, are very different from modern seawater [46][47][48][49]. Nevertheless, currently it is not clear to what extent this phenomenon can be considered natural or forced by anthropogenic activity (e.g., excessive pumping in coastal area).…”

Hydrogeochemistryof groundwater in Es-Sbikhat El-Mahmel basin, Khenchela (NE Algeria)

“…The groundwater of different samples shows in general enrichment in Ca 2+ , SO4 2-, and poverty in Na + , K + and Mg 2+ . The major reactions which enrich or improve water of the chemical elements are the Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ exchange due to the interaction carbonated water-rocks, the basic exchange Na + -Ca 2+ or Na + -Mg 2+ and the reduction of sulfates dissolution [15] in [7].…”