Groundwater resources and human impacts in a Quaternary intramontane basin (L'Aquila Plain, Central Italy)

An aquifer vulnerability study was carried out in the L'Aquila Plain of Central Italy for evaluating changes in groundwater quantity and quality induced by human activities. The L'Aquila Plain, filled with Quaternary clastic deposits, is an intramontane basin encircled by karst massifis characterized by regional groundwater which is connected with the porous multilayer aquifer of L'Aquila Plain. The study was organized into different steps: (1) geo-lithological characterization; (2) sampling of hydrogeological. data and water budget evaluation; and (3) hydrochemical and microbiological monitoring of springs and wells. The latter step made it possible to identify water-rock interaction, groundwater mixing, and recharge, and to recognize the different sources of groundwater pollution. The plain aquifer mainly recharged by the surrounding carbonate massifs, shows centripetal groundwater flowpaths. The hydrochemical features show two groundwater end-members, coming from carbonate aquifers or circulating only in the plain, with intermediate mixed groundwater The observed groundwater pollution is negligible, but it will probably increase if the strong development of the human activities continues without groundwater protection planning.