Hydrogeochemical and isotopic characterization of the Gioia Tauro coastal Plain (Calabria - southern Italy): A multidisciplinary approach for a focused management of vulnerable strategic systems.

This work pursues the hydro-geochemical and isotopic characterization of the complex groundwater system of the Gioia Tauro Plain, one of the most important industrialized and agricultural coastal areas of southern Italy. The anthropic pressure exposes the water resources at risk of depletion and quality degradation making the plain groundwater a system of high scientific and social interest. The plain is characterized by a shallow aquifer, mostly recharged by local rains and a deep aquifer apparently less influenced by local precipitation. Both aquifers are mainly Ca-HCO3 waters except for localized sectors where Na-HCO3, Na-Cl and Ca-SO4 waters are present. In deep aquifer, both prolonged interaction with sedimentary rocks, mainly deriving from the erosion of crystalline rocks, and direct cation exchange represent the primary factors controlling the formation of Na-HCO3 waters. Mixing processes between these waters and either connate brine and/or deep thermal waters contribute to the formation of isolated high salinity Na-Cl-rich waters. In shallow aquifer, inputs of N-rich sewage and agriculture-related contaminants, and SOx emissions in proximity of the harbor are responsible of the increasing nitrate and sulphate concentrations, respectively. The Cl/Br and NO3/Cl ratios highlight contamination mainly linked to agricultural activities and contribution of wastewater. Along the northern boundary, the warmest groundwater (Na-Cl[SO4]) were found close to a bend of the main strike-slip fault system, locally favouring the rising of B- and Li-rich deep waters, testifying the influence of geological-structural features on deep water circulation. Despite the high-water demand, a direct marine intrusion is localized in a very restricted area, where we observed an incipient groundwater-seawater mixing (seawater contribution ≤7 %). The qualitative and quantitative conditions of the shallow aquifer still have acceptable levels because of the relatively high recharge inflow. A reliable hydrogeochemical conceptual model, able to explain the compositional variability of the studied waters, is proposed.

Radon, helium and uranium survey in some thermal springs located in NW Himalayas, India: mobilization by tectonic features or by geochemical barriers?

Radon, helium and uranium measurements have been carried out in hot water springs in the Parbati and Beas valleys of Himachal Himalaya. Most of these hot springs are known as famous pilgrimage centers. The activity of dissolved radon in the liquid phase is found to vary widely, by an order of magnitude, between 10 and 750 Bq L(-1), whereas, the dissolved helium content in these thermal springs varies between 10 and 100 ppm. The uranium contents are low and vary from <0.01 to 5 microg L(-1). The measured values of radon, helium and uranium are possibly controlled by structural geology, namely the presence of pervious fault systems, and by the lithology of the leached host rocks. Redox-potential geochemical barriers cause the mobilization of uranile ions in solution (UO2+); the most plausible hypothesis is when the conditions are oxidising, confirming the importance of physico-chemical conditions up to the supergenic environment, to control the fluid geochemistry of the U-He-222Rn system. Some evidence is available from both geothermometric considerations and geochemical data which will be reported elsewhere, whereas the present study is focused on U decay series-noble gas geochemistry. The first analysis of collected 3He/4He data is consistent with a crustal signature at the studied thermal springs.