Gis and mathematical groundwater simulation as tools for hydrogeological conceptual modeling and vulnerability assessment of Porto Torres industrial zone aquifer (nw Sardinia)

The object of this study has been to develop an integrated technique of GIS and groundwater modeling program to improve hydrogeological setting understanding of Porto Torres industrial zone and to perform intrinsic vulnerability evaluation of the aquifer to contamination. To reach this purpose, GIS interfaced to the hydrogeological software GMS has been used to efficiently manage a wide range of geographical information and data. Hydrogeological understanding has been facilitated by a tree-dimensional schematization of aquifer domain and by numerical modeling, that has been finalized to provide proof to support or dismiss assumptions made on conceptual model implementation. Finally, based on GIS elaborations and groundwater simulation, SINTACS method has been applied to evaluate vulnerability degree of the Mesozoic aquifer.