Abstract
Zaragoza city is located in the central Ebro Basin, in the Iberian Peninsula. The fluvial terraces formed by the Ebro River present a valuable resource of sand and gravel deposits. However, taking advantage of these available resources implies conflicts with other land use interests like urban and industrial development as well as agricultural use, which has also traditionally occupied the alluvial terraces. These deposits represent a substantial groundwater resource that should be preserved for future generations. The development of spatial decision support systems (SDSS) has greatly assisted efforts for solving land-use conflicts. These systems combine the benefits of geographic information systems (GIS) and decision support methodologies and are therefore suitable to manage sustainable development of urban areas. In this contribution, an extraction suitability map taking into consideration a variety of environmental criteria is created with the help of a SDSS. The method used is the analytical hierarchy process which is integrated in ArcGIS. Areas most suitable to sand and gravel extraction are located in the high terraces, and in those terraces covered by pediments where the thickness of resource is relatively high. These areas are far from valuable natural areas, outside areas most vulnerable to groundwater contamination, and beneath soils with poor irrigation characteristics.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Benito G, Pérez-Gonzalez A, Gutiérrez-Santolalla F, Machado MJ (1998) River response to Quaternary subsidence due to evaporite solution (Gállego River, Ebro Basin, Spain). Geomorphology 22:243–263
Becker-Platen JD, Preuss H (1985) Geowissenschaften in der Raumplanung. In: Becker-Platen JD (ed) Angewandte Geowissenschaften in Raumplanung und Umweltschutz. Enke, Stuttgart, pp 1–47
de Mulder EFJ, Hillen R (1990) Preparation and application of engineering and environmental geological maps in The Netherlands. Eng Geol 29:279–290
de Mulder EFJ, Hillen R (1994) Construction materials in The Netherlands. In: Lüttig G (ed) Second international aggregates symposium: aggregates—raw material’s giant, Erlangen, pp 49–59
Earth Decision Sciences (2005) GOCAD®. Earth Decision Sciences, Nancy
ESRI Inc. (2005) ArcGIS 9.1, ESRI Inc., Redlands, CA
Gilliams S, Raymaekers D, Muys B, van Orshoven J (2005) Comparing multiple criteria decision methods to extend a geographical information system on afforestation. Comput Electron Agric 49:142–158
Hoppe A, Lang S, Lerch C, Marinoni O (2006) Geology and a spatial decision support system for the surroundings of urban areas: an example from southern Hesse (Germany). Z Dtsch Ges Geowiss 157:135–146
IGME (1974) Mapa de rocas industriales a escala 1:200.000: hoja 32-Zaragoza. Ministerio de Industria y Energía, Madrid
Kündig R, Jericke E, Lang O (1997) Geoinformatik im Bereich “Mineralische Rohstoffe” und Nutzbare Gesteine”. In: Kündig R et al. (eds) Die mineralischen Rohstoffe der Schweiz. Schweizerische Geotechnische Kommission, Zürich, pp 469–477
Lamelas MT (2007) Geo-resources and geo-hazards in the context of a sustainable development in the periphery of urban areas, exemplary of a part of the Ebro Basin in the surroundings of Zaragoza (Spain). Dissertation, Technische Universitat Darmstadt, Darmstadt, p 211
Lamelas MT, Marinoni O, Hoppe A, de la Riva J (2006) Sustainable land-use management with the help of spatial decision support systems: an example of a covered karst area in the surroundings of Zaragoza (Spain). In: All about Karst & Water, Vienna, p 9
Lamelas MT, Marinoni O, Hoppe A, de la Riva J (2007a) Dolines probability map using logistic regression and GIS technology in the central Ebro Basin (Spain). Environ Geol. doi:10.1007/s00254-007-0895-3
Lamelas MT, Marinoni O, Hoppe A, de la Riva J (2007b) Groundwater vulnerability map for the Ebro alluvial aquifer between Jalón and Ginel tributaries (Spain). Environ Geol. doi:10.1007/s00254-007-0699-5
Lamelas MT, Marinoni O, Hoppe A, de la Riva J (2007c) Modelling of environmental variables to support sustainable land-use decisions in metropolitan areas—the example of Zaragoza (Spain). Geomorphology (in press)
Lüttig G (1994) Rational management of geo-environment—a view in favour of “geobased” planning—(with special reference to aggregates resources). In: Lüttig G (ed) Second international aggregates symposium: aggregates—raw material’s giant, Erlangen, pp 1–33
Malczewski J (1999) GIS and multicriteria decision analysis. Wiley, New York, p 392
Malczewski J (2004) GIS-based land-use suitability analysis: a critical overview. Prog Plann 62:3–65
Manso L, Gálvez MT, Gómez-Besteiro JJ (2001) Evaluación de las industrias mineras e instalaciones conexas, en el término municipal de Zaragoza: Propuestas de gestión y bases para la aprobación de un Plan Especial. Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza, Zaragoza
Marinoni O (2004) Implementation of the analytical hierarchy process with VBA in ArcGIS. Comput Geosci 30:637–646
Marinoni O (2005) A stochastic spatial decision support system based on PROMETHEE. Int J Geogr Inf Sci 19(1):51–68
Marinoni O, Hoppe A (2006) Using the analytic hierarchy process to support the sustainable use of geo-resources in metropolitan areas. J Syst Sci Syst Eng 15(2):154–164
MOP (1967) Proyecto red arterial de Zaragoza: Autopista Zaragoza-Alfajarín. Tramo II. Technical Report, MOP, Zaragoza
MOP (1970) Red arterial de Zaragoza: N-II. Autopista ronda norte. Zaragoza. Technical Report, MOP, Zaragoza
MOP (1973) Proyecto de Trazado de la red arterial de Zaragoza: 2°Cinturón de la red arterial de Zaragoza, conexión de la N-II con la N-123. Technical Report, MOP, Zaragoza
MOP (1994) Proyecto de construcción: N-232 de Vinaroz a Santander. P.K. 223,6 al P.K. 234,8. Acceso a población (duplicación de calzada. Tramo: El Burgo de Ebro-Zaragoza). Technical Report, MOP, Zaragoza
MOP (2000) Proyecto de construcción. Conexión de la carretera N-232 de Vinaroz a Santander con la Autopista A-68 de Bilbao a Zaragoza. Tramo Casetas. Technical Report, MOP, Zaragoza
MOP (2003) Proyecto de construcción. Nueva carretera autopista. Ronda sur. Cuarto cinturón de Zaragoza. De la N-II a ña N-232 (Vinaroz). Technical Report, MOP, Zaragoza
Pereira JMC, Duckstein L (1993) A multiple criteria decision-making approach to GIS-based land suitability evaluation. Int J Geogr Inf Syst 7:407–424
Saaty TL (1977) A scaling method for priorities in hierarchical structures. J Math Psychol 15:231–281
Saaty TL, Vargas LG (1991) Prediction, projection and forecasting. Kluwer, Dordrecht, p 251
Vincke P (1986) Analysis of multicriteria decision aid in Europe. Eur J Oper Res 25:160–168
Voogd H (1983) Multicriteria evaluation for urban and regional planning. Pion, London, p 367
Wolden K, Erichsen E (1990) Compilation of geological data for use in local planning and administration. Eng Geol 29:333–338
Wolden K, Erichsen E (1994) Management of sand, gravel and hard-rock aggregates in local planning. In: Lüttig G (ed) Second international aggregates symposium: aggregates—raw material’s giant, Erlangen, pp 331–337
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, Ho 804/7-1 + 2). Thanks to the Ebro River and Aragon Region Authority, Zaragoza Council, National Geological Institute, Ministry of Public Works, Z-amaltea, Control-7, Entecsa, CTA and ESHYG for the useful information they gave us. Besides, we would also like to thank Luis Manso, Asunción Soriano Ángel Navamuel and Roberto Antón Aguirre for their useful advice.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lamelas, M.T., Marinoni, O., Hoppe, A. et al. Suitability analysis for sand and gravel extraction site location in the context of a sustainable development in the surroundings of Zaragoza (Spain). Environ Geol 55, 1673–1686 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-1116-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-1116-9