The anthropogenic impact on Mediterranean karst aquifers: cases of some Spanish aquifers

Abstract

Mediterranean karstic aquifers are a major source of water supply for drinking water and agricultural use. In semiarid areas, the risk of causing an intensive exploitation is high, leading to degradation processes of water quality, not only due to limited agricultural activities developed on the karstic rocks—being generally poorly developed soils—but to the presence of deep evaporates which can be mobilised, or because of being coastal aquifers where seawater intrusion can progress rapidly. Moreover, karstic massifs constitute often positive reliefs that can generate barriers for civil works, more and more saved by building sophisticated tunnels; such works can affect the quantity and quality of the waters from the karst. Five examples of human impacts on some karst aquifers in SE of Spain are shown in this paper, three of them with impacts on water quality and the other two correspond to the impact of tunnels in high-speed trains drilling below the water table.