| Summary: |
This Project is strongly connected with one of the most crucial water-related research issues at the turn of the
millennium "Water and Society". Special emphasis will be dedicated on "Land habitat hydrology in urban areas" and
their role and environmental impact on surface water/groundwater recharge and circulation. The referred topic is
based on the fundamental principle that groundwater is as essential to sustainable development as it is to life and
that water, beyond its geophysical, hydrochemical, biological function in the hydrological cycle, has social, economic
and environmental values that are inter-linked and mutually supportive. In this Project, this multidisciplinary
approach will include:
Clay mineralogy and palaeoweathering, Geophysics and Modelling Hydrogeology - will allow the assessment of
mineralogical parameters contributing for the definition of tectono-stratigraphic markers and palaeoweathering that
could be used in the establishment of zonographies. The analyses will be performed at MIA (Aveiro University) and
IICT (Lisbon). Geophysical techniques are useful in order to achieve the characterisation of shallow and deep
structures, and to detect groundwater flowpaths. Application of computer modelling and geostatistics applied to
groundwater are also attempted. These latest studies will be carried out in Aveiro University.
Isotope geochemistry - in urban regions the application of environmental isotope geochemistry includes the
assessment of recharge from leaking water mains and sewers, from in situ sanitation, from waste water and frominfluent surface watercourses. The isotopic techniques most commonly employed are 2H and 18O in water and 15N
and 18O in nitrate, in combination with major and trace hydrogeochemical indicators. Isotopic analysis will be
performed at the ITN (Lisbon).
Hydrogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology - major and minor element composition of rain, surface waters and
groundwaters,  |
Summary
This Project is strongly connected with one of the most crucial water-related research issues at the turn of the
millennium "Water and Society". Special emphasis will be dedicated on "Land habitat hydrology in urban areas" and
their role and environmental impact on surface water/groundwater recharge and circulation. The referred topic is
based on the fundamental principle that groundwater is as essential to sustainable development as it is to life and
that water, beyond its geophysical, hydrochemical, biological function in the hydrological cycle, has social, economic
and environmental values that are inter-linked and mutually supportive. In this Project, this multidisciplinary
approach will include:
Clay mineralogy and palaeoweathering, Geophysics and Modelling Hydrogeology - will allow the assessment of
mineralogical parameters contributing for the definition of tectono-stratigraphic markers and palaeoweathering that
could be used in the establishment of zonographies. The analyses will be performed at MIA (Aveiro University) and
IICT (Lisbon). Geophysical techniques are useful in order to achieve the characterisation of shallow and deep
structures, and to detect groundwater flowpaths. Application of computer modelling and geostatistics applied to
groundwater are also attempted. These latest studies will be carried out in Aveiro University.
Isotope geochemistry - in urban regions the application of environmental isotope geochemistry includes the
assessment of recharge from leaking water mains and sewers, from in situ sanitation, from waste water and frominfluent surface watercourses. The isotopic techniques most commonly employed are 2H and 18O in water and 15N
and 18O in nitrate, in combination with major and trace hydrogeochemical indicators. Isotopic analysis will be
performed at the ITN (Lisbon).
Hydrogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology - major and minor element composition of rain, surface waters and
groundwaters, will be determined at IST (Lisbon). The CGUP (Porto University) will be working on the detection of
the existence of different infiltration and recharge environments related to soil characteristics. To investigate the
environmental and human impacts of water quality, experimental research through laboratory and in situ
ecotoxicological tests and the use of biomarkers will be carried out. Ecotoxicological analysis will be performed at
CIIMAR (Porto University).
Remote sensing/Tectonics and Structural Geomorphology - these tools will be mainly used to characterise the main
palaeo and neotectonic lineament networks, as well as the geomorphological features. These studies will be
performed at LATTEX (Lisbon University) and GEDES (Porto University), and will be developed at different scales
(aerial photos to satellite imagery). LATTEX team will put a special emphasis in understanding faults and fractures
opening and sealing processes, stress fields and seismic bombing. GEDES team will contribute with
hydrogeomorphologic and morphotectonic mappings. |