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Shallow groundwater temperature in the Turin area (NW Italy): vertical distribution and anthropogenic effects

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Abstract

This study investigated the thermal regime of shallow groundwater in the Turin area (NW Italy), where the large energy demand has motivated a new interest for renewable sources, such as the use of ground-source heat pumps for domestic heating and cooling. The vertical variability of the groundwater temperature between the ground surface and 10–20 m was detected: deeper temperatures were higher than shallow temperatures in spring, while a decrease with depth occurred in autumn. These variations are connected with the heating and cooling cycles of the ground surface due to the seasonal temperature oscillation. Variations below the seasonal oscillation are likely to be connected with the presence of advective heat transport due to the groundwater flow, according to the hydraulic features of a shallow aquifer. Temperature values mostly ranged between 12 and 14 °C in rural areas, while the values were between 14 and 16 °C below the Turin city. This groundwater warming is attributed to a widespread urban heat island phenomenon linked to warmer land surface temperatures in Turin city. Sparse warm outliers are connected with point heat sources and site-specific conditions of land and subsurface use, which may cause the aquifer temperature to rise. A relatively stable temperature below the seasonal fluctuation zone combined with high productivity and legislated limits for deeper groundwater use represent favourable conditions for a large-scale diffusion of groundwater heat pumps within the shallow aquifer. Moreover, this heat surplus should be regarded as a resource for future geothermal installations.

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Acknowledgements

Most of the groundwater monitoring points were accessed thanks to the kind support of Arpa Piemonte and Provincia di Torino. The authors are grateful to all collaborators as well as to all the private institutions and individuals who permitted access to other monitoring wells. The authors deeply thank the reviewer for useful comments and suggestions that helped to improve the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Turin, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125, Turin, Italy

    Arianna Bucci, Diego Barbero, Manuela Lasagna, M. Gabriella Forno & Domenico Antonio De Luca

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  1. Arianna Bucci
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  2. Diego Barbero
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  3. Manuela Lasagna
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  4. M. Gabriella Forno
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  5. Domenico Antonio De Luca
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Correspondence to Arianna Bucci.

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Bucci, A., Barbero, D., Lasagna, M. et al. Shallow groundwater temperature in the Turin area (NW Italy): vertical distribution and anthropogenic effects. Environ Earth Sci 76, 221 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6546-4

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