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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Hard-rock catchments are considered to be source of valuable water resources for water
supply to inhabitants and ecosystems. The present work aims to develop a groundwater vulnerability
approach in the Caldas da Cavaca hydromineral system (Aguiar da Beira, Central Portugal) in order
to improve the hydrogeological conceptual site model. Different types of information were overlaid,
generating several thematic maps to achieve an integrated framework of key sectors in the study
site. Thus, a multi-technical approach was used, encompassing field and laboratory techniques,
whereby different types of data were collected from fields such as geology, hydrogeology, applied
geomorphology and geophysics and hydrogeomechanics, with the fundamental aim of applying the
so-called DISCO index method. All of these techniques were successfully performed and an intrinsic
groundwater vulnerability to contamination assessment, based on the multicriteria methodology of
GOD-S, DRASTIC-Fm, SINTACS, SI and DISCO indexes, was delineated. Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) provided the basis on which to organize and integrate the databases and to produce
all the thematic maps. This multi-technical approach highlights the importance of groundwater
vulnerability to contamination mapping as a tool to support hydrogeological conceptualization,
contributing to improving the decision-making process regarding water resources management
and sustainability.
Description
Keywords
Hard-rock hydrogeology Fractured media GIS mapping Vulnerability assessment DISCO index Hydrogeological conceptual model