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Groundwater response to local climate variability: hydrogeological and isotopic evidences from the Mt. Amiata volcanic aquifer (Tuscany, central Italy)

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Abstract

Groundwater bodies constitute important water supplies as they are considered to be the safest and most reliable sources for drinking water. Although they commonly show complex dynamics, they may provide information on climate variability, being sensitive at both local and global climate conditions. Currently, the shallow aquifer hosted in the Mt. Amiata volcanics represents the most important freshwater reservoir of southern Tuscany (central Italy). Nevertheless, such a groundwater system is still poorly constrained, despite the hydrogeological and geochemical investigations carried out in the last decades. In this work literature and new hydrogeological and water stable isotopic data from both rainfall and groundwater are reviewed with the aim to better understand how the Mt. Amiata aquifer responds to the meteoric recharge and evaluate the impact of climate variability on this significant groundwater body. Isotopically, a good agreement between the rainfall and the groundwater system was observed, suggesting that the aquifer can be used as a proxy for local climate changes.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partly financially supported by Acquedotto del Fiora Ltd. (Resp. OV) and the administrative and technical personnel is gratefully acknowledged for their help during the various sampling surveys carried out in the Mt. Amiata region. Many thanks to F. Capecchiacci, J. Cabassi, L. Giannini, and B. Nisi for their help in the field. M. Mussi, E. Calvi and M. Catania (CNR-IGG, Pisa) are thanked for performing the stable isotope analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa, Via S. Maria, 53, 156126, Pisa, Italy

    Francesco Magi

  2. CNR-IGG, Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Francesco Magi, Marco Doveri & Matia Menichini

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira, 4, 50121, Florence, Italy

    Orlando Vaselli

  4. CNR-IGG, Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. La Pira, 4, 50121, Florence, Italy

    Angelo Minissale & Orlando Vaselli

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  1. Francesco Magi
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  3. Matia Menichini
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Correspondence to Francesco Magi.

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Magi, F., Doveri, M., Menichini, M. et al. Groundwater response to local climate variability: hydrogeological and isotopic evidences from the Mt. Amiata volcanic aquifer (Tuscany, central Italy). Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 30, 125–136 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-019-00779-8

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