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- Assessment of groundwater contamination in an agricultural peri-urban area (NW Portugal): an integrated approachPublication . Barroso, M. Fátima; Ramalhosa, Maria João; Olhero, A.; Antão, M. C.; Pina, M. F.; Guimarães, L.; Teixeira, J.; Afonso, M. J.; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Chaminé, Helder I.The excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers in agriculture has generated a decrease in groundwater and surface water quality in many regions of the EU, constituting a hazard for human health and the environment. Besides, on-site sewage disposal is an important source of groundwater contamination in urban and peri-urban areas. The assessment of groundwater vulnerability to contamination is an important tool to fulfil the demands of EU Directives. The purpose of this study is to assess the groundwater vulnerability to contamination related mainly to agricultural activities in a peri-urban area (Vila do Conde, NW Portugal). The hydrogeological framework is characterised mainly by fissured granitic basement and sedimentary cover. Water samples were collected and analysed for temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, chloride, phosphate, nitrate and nitrite. An evaluation of groundwater vulnerability to contamination was applied (GOD-S, Pesticide DRASTIC-Fm, SINTACS and SI) and the potential nitrate contamination risk was assessed, both on a hydrogeological GIS-based mapping. A principal component analysis was performed to characterised patterns of relationship among groundwater contamination, vulnerability, and the hydrogeological setting assessed. Levels of nitrate above legislation limits were detected in 75 % of the samples analysed. Alluvia units showed the highest nitrate concentrations and also the highest vulnerability and risk. Nitrate contamination is a serious problem affecting groundwater, particularly shallow aquifers, especially due to agriculture activities, livestock and cesspools. GIS-based cartography provided an accurate way to improve knowledge on water circulation models and global functioning of local aquifer systems. Finally, this study highlights the adequacy of an integrated approach, combining hydrogeochemical data, vulnerability assessments and multivariate analysis, to understand groundwater processes in peri-urban areas.
- Integrative Groundwater Studies in a Small-Scale Urban Area: Case Study from the Municipality of Penafiel (NW Portugal)Publication . Freitas, Liliana; Chaminé, Helder I.; Afonso, Maria José; Meerkhan, Helen; Abreu, Tiago; Trigo, José Filinto; Pereira, Alcides J. S. C.The occurrence of groundwater in urban hard rock areas is mostly controlled by secondary permeability caused by the fracturing degree and weathering grade. Vulnerability GIS-mapping, monitoring, and infiltration/recharge of water resources, and the delineation of the environmental protective background are key issues in evaluating, planning, managing, and decision-making for urban water systems. A small-scale urban area in Penafiel City was used as a case study. Historical and current scenarios were compared using hydrogeological GIS-based modelling. Water sources and potential contamination sources were mapped around the study area. Groundwater is mainly acidic, with a low mineralization and a Cl-Na to Cl-SO4-Na or Cl-Ca to Cl-SO4-Ca hydrogeochemical facies. Considering potential contamination sources, the moderate and the moderate-high classes dominate the area. The combined approach of the vulnerability indexes suggests that most of the area has a low to moderate vulnerability to contamination. The Infiltration Potential Index in urban areas (IPI-urban) indicates the prevalence of a low to moderate infiltration. Groundwater recharge evaluation indicates values < 2.3 mm/year and <60 mm/year for summer and winter scenarios, respectively. Finally, the investigation addresses insights for decision-makers for the appropriate planning and sustainable management of groundwater resources in small-scale urban areas.
- Recent Advances in Environmental Science from the Euro-Mediterranean and Surrounding RegionsPublication . Ksibi, Mohamed; Ghorbal, Achraf; Chakraborty, Sudip; Chaminé, Helder I.; Barbieri, Maurizio; Guerriero, Giulia; Hentati, Olfa; Negm, Abdelazim; Lehmann, Anthony; Römbke, Jörg; Duarte, Armando Costa; Xoplaki, Elena; Khélifi, Nabil; Colinet, Gilles; Dias, João Miguel; Gargouri, Imed; Van Hullebusch, Eric D.; Sánchez Cabrero, Benigno; Ferlisi, Settimio; Tizaoui, Chedly; Rtimi, Amjad KallelSami; Panda, Sandeep; Michaud, Philippe; Sahu, Jaya Narayana; Seffen, Mongi; Naddeo, VincenzoThis book includes over three hundred and seventy-five short papers presented during the second EMCEI, which was held in Sousse, Tunisia in October 2019. After the success of the first EMCEI in 2017, the second installment tackled emerging environmental issues together with new challenges, e.g. by focusing on innovative approaches that contribute to achieving a sustainable environment in the Mediterranean and surrounding regions and by highlighting to decision makers from related sectors the environmental considerations that should be integrated into their respective activities. Presenting a wide range of environmental topics and new findings relevant to a variety of problems in these regions, this volume will appeal to anyone working in the subject area and particularly to students interested in learning more about new advances in environmental research initiatives in view of the worsening environmental degradation of the Mediterranean and surrounding regions, which has made environmental and resource protection into an increasingly important issue hampering sustainable development and social welfare.
- Advances in Geoengineering, Geotechnologies, and Geoenvironment for Earth Systems and Sustainable Georesources ManagementPublication . Chaminé, Helder I.; Fernandes, JoséThis book comprises the peer-reviewed proceedings of the 1st Conference on Georesources, Geomaterials, Geotechnologies and Geoenvironment (4GEO), Porto, Portugal, on November 7–8, 2019. The book interests all researchers, practitioners, and students in engineering geosciences, geotechnics, georesources, materials engineering, and earth and environmental sciences. Georesources, geomaterials, geotechnologies, and geoenvironment are very topical subjects and therefore deserve a deeper reflection by academia, practitioners, and society. That approach is vital to a correct sustainable resource management and an engineering design with nature within a geoethical framework. Georesources, understood as geological, hydrological and energetic resources are greatly important to society. Minerals, rocks, and water are resources that, over time, have assumed an important role in the technological development of communities. Given the increase in population and the increasing needs and intensification of their use, it is very important to ensure their sustainable management. Geomaterials are functional geological materials artificially processed for the generality of the activities developed by societies. The functional geomaterials may include rock, clay, granular materials, treated soils, and industrial waste. Geotechnologies are a very important tool for decision-making, supporting the collection, mapping, processing, and analysis of data with geographical information systems and other geo-techniques used in the most diverse fields, including to support the monitoring and prediction of geohazards. The geoenvironment is a transversal field that identifies continuous earth changes and to find solutions to the resulting socioeconomic and environmental changes. Climate change, industrialization, and anthropic activity are, among others, factors of pressure and alteration of the natural environment, so minimizing impacts and emerging hazards and risks.
- On a dialogue between hard-rock aquifer mapping and hydrogeological conceptual models: insights into groundwater explorationPublication . Chaminé, Helder I.; Carvalho, José Martins; Afonso, Maria José; Teixeira, José; Freitas, LilianaGroundwater is a dynamic and renewable resource, but in hard-rock terrains its availability is rather limited compared to other types of aquifer formations. Groundwater systems require a comprehensive understanding of geology, morphotectonics and hydrology, which are controlled by ground characteristics like weathering grade, fracturing degree, permeability, slope, drainage pattern and density, land cover, and climate. GIS-based integrative cartography provides an accurate way to improve knowledge on water circulation models and on the global functioning of aquifer systems. The groundwater conceptual model based in Earth systems has proven its value in water resource studies. This approach highlights the importance of groundwater exploration mapping as a useful tool to support hydrogeological conceptualisation of fractured hard-rock terrains, contributing to the sustainability of water resources.
- Site appraisal in fractured rock media: coupling engineering geological mapping and geotechnical modellingPublication . Chaminé, Helder I.; Afonso, Maria José; Trigo, José Filinto; Freitas, Liliana; Ramos, Luís; Carvalho, José MartinsGeotechnical surveys are based on collecting data from fieldwork and are a key element of rock-mass quality assessment in rock engineering. The lessons learned in several engineering projects underline the value of the accuracy of the basic geological and geotechnical data information related to the rock masses description and evaluation. An evaluation based on engineering geosciences, hydraulic and geotechnical features of rock masses involves combining parameters to derive quantitative geomechanical classifications for engineering design. In the present work, two selected sites are highlighted to demonstrate the importance of GIS mapping and models. Mapping and quantifying the on-site measurements’ information content and building a geo-database is vital for decision-making processes and risk assessment on sustainable engineering design with nature and hazards.
- Advances in Natural Hazards and Hydrological Risks: Meeting the ChallengePublication . Fernandes, Francisco; Malheiro, Ana; Chaminé, Helder I.This book gathers the proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Natural Hazards (NATHAZ'19), held in Lajes do Pico, Pico Island, Azores in 2019. Natural hazards constitute the threat of a naturally occurring event having a negative effect on human beings. These effects are often called natural disasters. Among the natural hazards and potential disasters to be considered are: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, subsidence, floods, droughts and coastal erosion. In addition, there are anthropogenic hazards that occur as a result of human interactions with the environment. They include technological hazards, which occur due to exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. Grasping the behaviour of natural systems requires a comprehensive understanding of climatology, geology and hydrology data and dynamics. Thus, it is important to conduct hazard and risk assessment studies for meaningful hazard mitigation. Further, the book demonstrates that an accurate understanding of natural systems and interactions between engineering and natural resources is of vital significance to the entire socio-economic sector. This volume offers an overview of natural hazards in model regions in Europe, America, and Atlantic islands. Providing new insights on the characterisation, assessment, protection and modelling of geological hazards, water systems, urban areas and coastal zones, it represents a valuable resource for all researchers and practitioners in the fields of Geosciences, Hydrology, Water Resources, Natural Hazards, Environments and Engineering.
- Geodynamic evolution of the SW Europe VariscidesPublication . Ribeiro, António; Munhá, José; Dias, Rui; Mateus, António; Pereira, Eurico; Ribeiro, Luísa; Fonseca, Paulo; Araújo, Alexandre; Oliveira, Tomás; Romão, José; Chaminé, Helder I.; Coke, Carlos; Pedro, JorgeThe early evolution of SW Europe Variscides started by opening of the Rheic ocean at 500 Ma, splitting Avalonia from Armorica/Iberia. Subduction on the SE side of Rheic generated the Paleotethys back-arc basin (430–390 Ma, splitting Armorica from Iberia), with development of Porto-Tomar-Ferreira do Alentejo (PTFA) dextral transform defining the boundary between continental Armorica and Finisterra microplate to the W. Obduction of Paleotethys was followed by Armorica/Iberia collision and emplacement of NW Iberian Allochthonous Units at 390–370 Ma, whereas toward the west of PTFA, there was antithetic ophiolite obduction (Beja-Acebuches and Rheic ophiolites plus Finisterra continental slices) on top of Ossa-Morena Zone, with simultaneous development of eclogites and orogenic magmatism under a flake– double wedge tectonic regime. Continued convergence (<370 Ma) proceeded by intracontinental deformation, with progressive tightening of the Ibero-Armorican Arc through dextral transpression on the Cantabrian Indentor, from Iberia to Armorica. The proposed model is discussed at the light of the driving mechanism of ‘‘soft plate tectonics.’’
- Groundwater Favourable Infiltration Zones on Granitic Areas (Central Portugal)Publication . Carvalho, José Martins; Afonso, Maria José; Teixeira, José; Freitas, Liliana; Lopes, Ana Rita; Jesus, Rosário; Batista, Sofia; Carvalho, Rosário; Chaminé, Helder I.The Infiltration Potential Index (IPI) was used at Castelo Novo (Fundão, Central Portugal) to delineate favourable infiltration zones. The Infiltration Potential Index is a valuable tool to include in integrated water resources management in crystalline fractured rocks. An integrated approach combining hydrogeomorphology and GIS was developed applying multiple layers of information (tectonic lineaments, hydrogeological units, slope, drainage, land use, and precipitation). Different ranks were assigned to thematic layers and different weights were given to classes according to their contribution for groundwater using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) methodology. Almost 80% of the area is covered by slightly to moderately weathered (W1–2–W3) granite, having slopes of 5–15° and 15–25°, tectonic lineaments densities of 6–12 km/km2 and 12–18 km/km2 and drainage densities of 6–9 km/km2 and >9 km/km2. Scrub and/or herbaceous vegetation associations and bare rocks dominate. A moderate to high Infiltration Potential Index (IPI) is dominant in the area.
- Using engineering geosciences mapping and GIS-based tools for georesources management: lessons learned from rock quarryingPublication . Chaminé, Helder I.; Afonso, Maria José; Teixeira, José; Ramos, Luís; Fonseca, Luís; Pinheiro, Rogério; Galiza, António CarlosThe heterogeneity of the geological properties of rock masses is very important in engineering geosciences and rock engineering issues. The study of discontinuous rock masses has developed enormously. In particular, the assessment of in situ block size plays a key role in rock engineering design projects such as mining, quarrying and highway cutting operations. The application of Geographic Information Systems to engineering geosciences has become more common. In this article, the importance of an integrative comprehensive approach to rock engineering is discussed in the context of quarrying operations, i.e., from field mapping surveys to geomechanical assessment. This approach led us to a better understanding of the appropriateness of exploitation of raw material aggregates and to reduced uncertainty about sustainability of georesources in relation to their management and the environment.
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