Fuzzy Logic Implementation of Vulnerability Assessment in a Coastal Aquifer of Northern Sicily

Abstract

Aquifers can be defined as complex ecological systems. Their description is closely influenced by geometrical and geological parameters, which portray the hydrogeological behaviour of underground systems. This paper reports a contribution to assessing groundwater contamination risk in a particular Sicily sector, where deterministic approaches have methodically assessed and mapped vulnerability and quality of groundwater. In detail, in the coastal area of Acquedolci (Northern Sicily), already intensely surveyed in the frame of interdisciplinary projects on geological risk, implementing models and systems have been experimented, also considering fuzzy logic. Cartography issues are here presented and compared, with particular regard to the effect of stochastic hydrogeological elements (i.e. “depth to water”), locally characterized by variability for simultaneous climate, overdraft, irrigation and sea encroachment. The authors show how fuzzy logic, applied to vulnerability settings, contributes to a better comprehension of the passive scenery offered by aquifers in Acquedolci Sicily area.