Evaluation of Groundwater Resources in Minor Plio-Pleistocene Arenaceous Aquifers in Central Italy

hydrology Article Evaluation of Groundwater Resources in Minor Plio-Pleistocene Arenaceous Aquifers in Central Italy Diego Di Curzio , Sergio Rusi * , Alessia Di Giovanni and Emanuele Ferretti Department of Engineering and Geology (InGeo), Università degli Studi “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; [email protected] (D.D.C.); [email protected] (A.D.G.); [email protected] (E.F.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The hilly landscape of the Periadric area in Central Italy is characterized by mainly marly– clayey foredeep basin deposits (Plio–Pleistocene age). These lithotypes are generally considered aquicludes, if compared with the regional limestone aquifers of Apennines. However, a coarsening upward trend characterizes the upper portion of this stratigraphic sequence, with arenaceous deposits and even conglomerates on the top. From a geomorphological viewpoint, the areas with coarser outcrops show a flat shape and sub-vertical slopes, like boundaries. At the base of these scarps, springs can be found at the interface between coarse and fine deposits, whereas these arenaceous bodies are actual aquifers. Until now, the hydrodynamics and hydrochemical features of this kind of aquifer have not been investigated deeply, because they have always been considered a worthy water resource. However, they could play a crucial role in integrated water management, especially to cope with climate changes and drought periods. Considering these, the main purpose of this study was to investigate from a hydrogeological point of view and to assess the groundwater quantity and quality. Citation: Di Curzio, D.; Rusi, S.; Di Five examples throughout the Abruzzo region were considered. For evaluation and comparisons Giovanni, A.; Ferretti, E. Evaluation between water resources, the water volume that infiltrates yearly at each squared kilometer of an of Groundwater Resources in Minor aquifer (Mm3/y/km2) was applied. This value was calculated through three different approaches Plio-Pleistocene Arenaceous Aquifers to provide a recharge estimation for this kind of aquifer that is as exhaustive and representative in Central Italy. Hydrology 2021, 8, 121. as possible. The results allowed us to characterize the hydrogeological model and to quantify the https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology resources between 0.1 and 0.16 Mm3/y/km2, to be suitable for multi–purpose utilization. 8030121 Keywords: minor arenaceous aquifer; groundwater budget; yearly specific recharge; historical Academic Editors: David Brauer, Nathan Howell and Ryan Bailey tapping systems; integrative water resources Received: 8 July 2021 Accepted: 11 August 2021 Published: 16 August 2021 1. Introduction In recent decades, population growth, industrialization, and urbanization have gen- Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral erated an ever-increasing demand for fresh water [1–3]. This has led to a huge transition with regard to jurisdictional claims in from small and local water resource exploitation and distribution networks to regional and published maps and institutional affil- more integrated systems that bring water from springs and wells over great distances. iations. Traditionally, areas on the Mediterranean, specifically Central Italy, sourced water from local small springs or wells near villages and towns [4]. Now, water for drinking, irrigation, hydroelectricity production, and manufacturing mainly come from regional karst or alluvial aquifers [5–11]. As a matter of fact, the regular steady baseflow of springs Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. and rivers is directly connected to the amount of groundwater [12]. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The principal aqueducts, which have a capillary pipeline system on the order of This article is an open access article hundreds of kilometers, distribute groundwater to both the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts distributed under the terms and (Figure1) mainly from the karst aquifers in the Apennine Mountains [ 13–16] and to a lesser conditions of the Creative Commons extent from alluvial aquifers [17–21]. Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). Hydrology 2021, 8, 121. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology8030121 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/hydrology Hydrology 2021, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEWHydrology 2021, 8, 121 2 of 182 of 17 FigureFigure 1.1. Regional geological geological framework framework of the of aquifers. the aquifers. (1) Alluvial (1) Alluvial deposits ofdeposits the main of rivers the main and (2) rivers of inland and (2)intermontane of inland basins; intermontane (3) foredeep basins; basin deposits; (3) foredeep (4) turbiditic basin deposits; deposits; (5) carbonate (4) turbiditic deposits; deposits; (6) location ( of5) the carbonate meteoro- deposits;logical stations. (6) location of the meteorological stations. The abovementioned economic transition caused a progressive abandonment of local The abovementionedaquifers economic located in transition the terrigenous caused sandy a andprogressive gravelly stratigraphic abandonment sequence of local that con- aquifers located in thestitutes terrigenous the top of sandy important and hills gravelly in the Periadriaticstratigraphic area. sequence Here, springs that and consti- elevated tutes the top of importantflat plains hills bounded in the by Periadriatic steep slopes provided area. Here, optimal springs topographical and andelevated morphological flat conditions for the development of towns (Figure2) that played an important political and plains bounded by steepcommercial slopes role provided a few centuries optimal ago [topographical22]. and morphological conditions for the developmentUntil theof middletowns of(Figure the 20th century,2) that theseplayed springs an wereimportant the sole sourcepolitical of freshwater and commercial role a few(Figure centuries3), and ago local [22]. communities used peculiar water-tapping systems consisting of a Until the middlecombination of the 20th of century, drainage tunnels these andsprings wells locatedwere the at the sole interface source between of freshwater permeable and non-permeable geological bodies. Springs’ discharge is rarely over 1 L/s and usually it (Figure 3), and localgoes communities from 0.1 to 0.4 used L/s duringpeculiar summer wat ander-tapping from 0.3 andsystems 0.9 L/s consisting during winter. of Thesea combination of drainagesystems tunnels are similar and wells to the located Persian “Quanats”, at the interface as they between had similar permeable hydraulic functions and non-permeable geological(i.e., draining bodies.water Springs from subsoil).’ discharge Different is archaeological rarely over studies 1 L/s have and investigated usually it these water-tapping systems [22,23], pointing out that, besides being able to extract groundwater, goes from 0.1 to 0.4 L/s during summer and from 0.3 and 0.9 L/s during winter. These systems are similar to the Persian “Quanats”, as they had similar hydraulic functions (i.e., draining water from subsoil). Different archaeological studies have investigated these water-tapping systems [22,23], pointing out that, besides being able to extract groundwater, they also served as protective barriers against pollution and high temperatures that could cause rapid evaporation. Hydrology 2021, 8, 121 3 of 17 Hydrology 2021, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 18 they also served as protective barriers against pollution and high temperatures that could cause rapid evaporation. FigureFigure 2.2.Examples Examples of historical of historical centers locatedcenters on thelocated arenaceous on the plain. arenaceous At the top, Atri; plain. in the At middle, the top, Silvi; atAtri; the bottom,in the middle,Miglianico Silvi; (see Figureat the1 bottom,for the locations). Miglianico (see Figure 1 for the locations). The geological features of these water bodies have already been investigated in many The geological featuresdetailed studiesof these either water from bodies a stratigraphic have already and sedimentological been investigated [24,25] in or many paleoenvi- detailed studies eitherronmental from a stratigraphic point of view and and as sedimentological on-shore and off-shore [24,25 natural] or gaspaleoenviron- reservoirs [26,27]. mental point of view Nevertheless,and as on-shore the hydrogeological and off-shore features natural of these gas local reservoirs aquifers are[26,27 unclear.]. Never- In fact, no detailed investigation has been conducted on their geometries: groundwater flow, physico- theless, the hydrogeologicalchemical features properties, of and these quantification local aquifers of stored are water unclear. volumes In fact, and seasonalno detailed recharge. investigation has beenSuch conducted information on would their be geometries: highly valuable groundwater because water from flow, secondary physico sources-chem- like lo- ical properties, and quantificationcal groundwater couldof stored help mitigate water water volumes scarcity and and theseasonal overexploitation recharge. of larger Such water information would bedistribution highly valuable networks, worsenedbecause bywater drought from periods secondary caused by sources climate change like [local28–31 ]. groundwater could help mitigate water scarcity and the overexploitation of larger water distribution networks, worsened by drought periods caused by climate change [28–31]. For these reasons, this study’s objective was twofold: to characterize the hydrody- namic and hydrochemical properties of five sample aquifers (Figure 1) and to quantify the

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