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Title
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Caracterització hidrogeoquímica de les fonts de la Serralada Litoral Central en relació a la litologia i als factors ambientals
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Author
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Abstract
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| In arid or semi-arid environments, such as the Mediterranean region, the need for finding freshwater springs, building fountains and preserving them has always been part of the socio-economic development of a country. This fact explains the large cultural legacy that such springs have left in these lands and the interest of the inhabitants in understanding the physical, chemical and mineral-medicinal properties of their waters. This study aims to hydrogeochemically characterise the springs of the Serralada Litoral Central (NE Iberian Peninsula, Barcelona) and to relate the chemical composition of their waters with the lithology, land use and climate. The physical and chemical properties of these waters are determined by the interaction of different factors such as climate, lithology, soil type and anthropogenic activities. However, lithology and human activities are by far the most important factors conditioning the chemical composition of water. The conductivity of such waters is determined by the residence time that the water interacts with the rocks and their meteorization level. Therefore, the water of the springs located on the Montnegre mountain range, where the lithology is dominated by metamorphic rocks (which are hardened against weather), are softer than those found in Marina, Sant Mateu-Céllecs and Corredor mountain ranges, dominated by tonalite or granodiorite rocks. The waters of the fountains from the Serralada Litoral Central are mostly dominated by calcium bicarbonate. Nonetheless, there are differences among fountains with regard to the relative proportion of other cations and anions. Montnegres springs presented the highest phosphate and sulphate concentrations. On the other hand, springs from Marina and Sant Mateu-Cèllecs presented higher concentrations of magnesium and sodium than springs in Corredor or in Montnegre. Despite that, not all of the differences can be explained by lithology. Human activities around the springs can alter the ionic composition of water, and higher concentrations of nitrate and chloride concentration are evident near urban areas. Our results also show that climatic factors, such as water deficit, can enhance evapotranspiration and increase chloride and sodium concentrations. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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L'Atzavara
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Publication
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2015
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Volume/pages
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25
(2015)
, p. 93-105
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Full text (open access)
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