Characterization of Submarine Groundwater Discharge along the southeastern coast of Sicily (Italy)

In research and management of groundwaters, an important role is played by coastal aquifers. Pollution due to salinization and human activities poses serious concerns to the economy of the related territories. Under the project, established through collaboration between the Italian Universities of Palermo, Bari, Venice and the IAEA and the UNESCO, study of coastal aquifers from Syracuse to Donnalucata on the southeastern coast of Sicily was carried out. The study area, known as Hyblean Plateau, is characterized by carbonate and vulcanite outcrops, connected to the tectonic activity during the Cretaceous and the Pliocene period. The aquifers are subjected to overexploitation due to the high water demand for intensive agricultural practices. Thus, the equilibrium between fresh groundwaters and seawater is getting disturbed with consequent salinization. The research project involved the geochemical and isotopic study of well waters, springs and submarine discharges in order to understand the relationships existing among these waters, to identify the best tracers of the natural and human–related phenomena occurring in the area as well as to estimate the presence of possible environmental effects of them on the coastal ecosystem. Hydrogeochemical surveys were carried out, every three months, from 2002 to 2004 on a net of wells, sub-aerial and submarine springs. The present report synthesizes the main results of the research.