Groundwater resources of the internal areas of Campania region: advanced monitoring techniques and hydrogeological analysis

This work of thesis is framed in the context of the PhD courses founded by PNRR, DM 351/2022 – “Dottorati Innovativi per la pubblica amministrazione e il patrimonio culturale” – “Didattica e competenze universitarie avanzate”. The main topic of the course was the Quantitive and qualitative assessment of groundwater resources of the internal areas of Campania region in monitored basins. These objectives were pursued using modern and sophisticated continuous monitoring instruments, coupled with methods related to numerical modeling and time series and GIS analysis. New and from literature methodologies have been applied to perform an improved study of karst massifs representing the main water sources of the study area. The course encompassed also a six months foreign research period in University of Malaga (Spain), at CEHIUMA Laboratory, with the research team coordinated by Professor Bartolomeo Andreo Navarro. During this period, the research activity was mainly focused on the study and application to a karst aquifer located in the project area of the recharge estimation method APLIS. Also, several field trips to the alluvial and karst aquifers studied by the research team have been carried out. This activity improved the knowledge about the management and safeguard of groundwater resources in dry areas, facing the problems of overexploitation, pollution, drought, and water supply management. Simultaneously, research works concerning activities carried out both in Italian and in Spanish countries were published or presented in congresses. Some oral contributions were presented to the International Eurokarst conference held in Rome in June 2024 and organized by Unisannio, Sapienza and Bari Universities. During the conference I was the part of the staff for the Unisannio University. National congresses like that organized by AIGAA (years 2023 and 2024), SGI (years 2023 and 2024), and IAH-Italian Chapter (year 2025) have been attended with oral or poster presentation. This work of thesis represents a summary of knowledges and experiences acquired during the three-year PhD course. Four topics have been addressed. The first one regards the numerical modeling of the Benevento Plain, an area strongly exploited by pumping wells, showing the strong control exerted by river dynamics on groundwater flow path. The second topic deals with the hydraulic dynamic of a Dragone Plain karst polje related to recharge processes of Terminio-Tuoro karst massif. The results show a strong influence of the recharge provided by the karst lake on the spring discharge of the main basal springs of Cassano Irpino. The third topic addresses the endorheic areas delineation and related statistical analysis of Alburni and Morcone karst massifs. In the first case more than 1000 closed depression and related endorheic, affecting the summit karst plateau and the recharge processes, areas have been mapped. In Morcone karst massif no more than 100 closed areas and related endorheic areas have been mapped; however, performing of tracer tests demonstrated how the two main ponors feed the principal basal springs. After a recharge evaluation was carried out using Modified APLIS and Daily Scale Recharge methods. Also, the new methodology, born by the combination of APLIS and Groundwater Recharge methods have been used. The results show the good agreement between the first two methodologies, and highlights the overestimated results provided by the new methodology. Then KarstMod software was used to define the recharge-discharge processes featuring Cervialto karst massif, highlighting how the snow cover influences the recharge processes and, thus, the spring hydrographs. At the end, historical insights on the water supply in Campania region have been studied. The Aqua Augusta and Sannitico Roman Aqueducts and the hydrogeological features affecting their construction were examined. The study highlights how the hydrological characteristics of Serino springs played a key role in water supply hypothesizing also an interconnection between the two aqueducts. Then the historical evolution of Benevento water supply, analyzing also the future scenarios, were treated. The evolution of the water supply indicates a progressively water quality drop, in the period spanning from Roman to currently time.