Study of the Trends of Chemical–Physical Parameters in Different Karst Aquifers: Some Examples from Italian Alps

Abstract

The results of a series of continuous characterizations of physical parameters (flow, temperature, water conductivity) and chemical analyses in water springs fed by karst aquifers located in the Piedmont region (northwestern Italy) are presented in this work. Rock masses in carbonate rocks, characterized by very different hydrogeological situations, linked to a different degree of karstification, fracturing, and development of the saturated zone, were examined. A series of data-loggers were installed, operating for several years, and different water sampling missions and subsequent chemical analyses (main ions, metals, and rare earth elements) under different hydrodynamic conditions were carried out. The results show very different trends of chemical–physical water parameters, particularly following significant infiltrative events. Aquifers characterized by a high karstification and reduced saturated zone highlight water mineralization decreases, even within a few hours, as a result of significant flow rate increases (prevalent substitution). Aquifers with a well-developed saturated zone, during an entire flood event, highlight an increase in mineralization linked to the remobilization of water present in the less permeable sectors of the aquifer (piston flow phenomenon). Lastly, aquifers fed by very fractured rocky masses and reduced karstification have a water flow rate with mild annual variations and constant chemical–physical parameters over time (homogenization phenomenon).