Sinkholes related to discontinuous pumping: susceptibility mapping based on geophysical studies. The case of Crestatx (Majorca, Spain)

Abstract

The Crestatx aquifer is the main source of water supply to the Bay of Alcudia, one of the largest resorts on the island of Majorca (Spain). This water has been used since the 1970s using several pumping wells, which draw an annual volume of 1.5 hm3. The seasonal exploitation of this karstic aquifer causes a substantial cone of depression with great variations in the piezometric level (up to 120 m) and dynamic water levels of down to 87 m below sea level. At the end of the 1990s, several sinkholes and subsidence depressions started being detected in a highly karstified area. Twenty subsidence and sinkhole morphologies have been inventoried in an area measuring 70,000 m2, with diameters up to 23 m and depth more than 15 m. The intense and continuous rainfall during recent years (2008–2010) has considerably accelerated the process, increasing the dimensions of existing sinkholes and the appearance of new morphologies. By means of electrical tomography techniques, a ground study was carried out. Numerous cavities have been identified in the upper 30 m. Using a map of the surface morphologies and the geophysical profiles, we can determine that the propagation and orientation of the sinkholes lie along three main directions: N30°E, N130°E and N60°E. The first is the most relevant, which is parallel to the main tectonic structures in the area. The interpretation of the electrical profiles has enabled us to identify the potentially most unstable areas, which is an effective tool to assess risk in the area, as there are roads and a housing development nearby. The high, but discontinuous, exploitation of the aquifer is considered the main trigger for these sinkholes and subsidence depressions, as it causes large variations of pressure and accelerates the dissolution process in the underlying rock.