Water Galleries Research Articles

Improving Training in the Hydrogeology of Volcanic Islands by Visiting the Water Galleries of the Canary Islands (Spain)

Training in different scientific and technical disciplines has always been supported by the relationship between “theory and practice”. This paper focuses on the need to take this fact into consideration once again with greater intensity regarding the current training in mining engineering schools. Subjects related to groundwater and geology on volcanic islands should take advantage of any existing underground hydraulic infrastructures, such as water galleries. In the Canary Islands’ archipelago, there is a unique and extensive network of galleries, tunnels and stunning waterways covering thousands of kilometres. There are examples of horizontal drilling of 6,500 m, and vertical wells up to 600 m in depth on the island of Tenerife. Consequently, the Canary Islands are a natural laboratory for the study of earth sciences to be used and exploited in teaching; however, this aspect is hardly taken advantage of in current training programmes. Although the access to such infrastructure entails in some cases safety risks, the fact remains that with adequate planning, selection and adaptation of the best infrastructures and proper evaluation and prevention measures based on the techniques used in mining safety, they could be exploited in teaching at local, national and international level due to their outstanding educational potential.

Three-armed rifts or masked radial pattern of eruptive fissures? The intriguing case of El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands)

Using new surface structural data as well as subsurface structural data obtained from seventeen water galleries, we provide a comprehensive model of the volcano-tectonic evolution of El Hierro (Canary Islands). We have identified, measured and analysed more than 1700 volcano-structural elements including vents, eruptive fissures, dykes and faults. The new data provide important information on the main structural patterns of the island and on its stress and strain fields, all of which are crucial for reliable hazard assessments. We conducted temporal and spatial analyses of the main structural elements, focusing on their relative age and association with the three main cycles in the construction of the island: the Tiñor Edifice, the El Golfo–Las Playas Edifice, and the Rift Volcanism. A radial strike distribution, which can be related to constructive episodes, is observed in the on-land structures. A similar strike distribution is seen in the submarine eruptive fissures, which are radial with respect to the centre of the island. However, the volcano-structural elements identified onshore and reflecting the entire volcano-tectonic evolution of the island also show a predominant NE–SW strike, which coincides with the main regional trend of the Canary archipelago as a whole. Two other dominant directions of structural elements, N–S and WNW–ESE, are evident from the establishment of the El Golfo–Las Playas edifice, during the second constructive cycle. We suggest that the radial-striking structures reflect comparatively uniform stress fields during the constructive episodes, mainly conditioned by the combination of overburden pressure, gravitational spreading, and magma-induced stresses in each of the volcanic edifices. By contrast, in the shallower parts of the edifice the NE–SW, N–S and WNW–ESE-striking structures reflect local stress fields related to the formation of mega-landslides and masking the general and regional radial patterns.

The show cave of Diros vs. wild caves of Peloponnese, Greece - distribution patterns of Cyanobacteria

The karst cave ‘Vlychada’of Diros, one of the oldest show caves in Peloponnese, sustains extended phototrophic biofilms on various substrata – on rocks inside the cave including speleothems, and especially near the artificial lighting installation (‘Lampenflora’). After a survey of the main abiotic parameters (Photosynthetically Active Radiation -PAR, Temperature -T, Relative Humidity -RH, Carbon Dioxide -CO2) three clusters of sampling sites were revealed according to Principal Component Analysis (PCA): i) the water gallery section predominately influenced by CO2, ii) the dry passages influenced by RH and PAR, and iii) the area by the cave exit at the dry section influenced by temperature. The collected samples from the water gallery section and the dry passages of the cave revealed a total of 43 taxa of Cyanobacteria, with the unicellular/colonial forms being the most abundant. The applied non-metric Multi-dimensional Scaling Ordination (nMDS) of the cumulative species composition showed a clear distinction between the water gallery section and the dry passages of the cave. Further comparison with previous data from other wild caves of Peloponnese (‘Kastria’, ‘Francthi’, and ‘Selinitsa’) was conducted revealing a distinction between the show cave and the wild ones. Apart from the human impact on cave ecosystems – through aesthetic alteration (‘greening’) of cave decorations by the ‘Lampenflora’, and by the cleaning treatments and restoration projects on the speleothems – identification of the organisms constituting the ‘Lampenflora’ might provide taxonomically and ecologically significant taxa.

Coupling Hydrotoponymy and GIS Cartography: A Case Study of Hydrohistorical Issues in Urban Groundwater Systems, Porto, NW Portugal

AbstractThe aim of this multidisciplinary study is to retrospectively examine hydrohistorical issues, namely hydrogeographic, hydrotoponymical and hydrogeological features, in order to assess the evolution of the Porto urban groundwater system (NW Portugal). To achieve these goals, the comparison of two main field inventories in a large urban region was performed by (i) historical mapping of sources and groundwater data from scientific reports spanning the late 17th century to the early 20th; and (ii) hydrogeologic and hydrotoponymical field inventory performed under current conditions. These field inventories permitted the location of springs, dug wells, fountains, public washing places and underground water galleries, which collected groundwater to supply the population of Porto until the early 20th century. This study also allowed the development of a hydrotoponymical classification for urban areas and a field hydrotoponymical inventory data sheet. This research integrated several techniques based on historical hydrogeography, hydrogeology and urban geosciences. The results of the field inventories were combined into both a database and a Geographical Information System (GIS) platform. This unified methodology allowed a cross‐check and analysis of several levels of information, namely hydrotoponymy, hydroclimatology, hydrogeology, structural geology and geomorphology. This perspective led to an assessment of the evolution of the quality of water resources in large urban areas over time. In addition, the role of hydrotoponymical features is presented in order to support the hydrogeological conceptual model for large urbanised areas.

Water Management Strategies and the Cave-Dwelling Phenomenon in Late-medieval Malta

New, non-invasive field survey suggests, for the first time, that farmers in W. Malta created extensive networks of underground water galleries for irrigation of the terraced field systems found in proximity to cave-settlements. Although none of the components of this landscape is scientifically dated, comparative research suggests that this sophisticated water-management system is similar to the qanat technology of the Islamic and Roman world. We have to consider seriously that this could be part of a new horticultural and technological package introduced during the Muslim and post-Muslim period between the 11th-13th centuries A.D. Overall, the paper is an attempt to gain an insight into Maltese exploitation of the perched aquifer before the late-19th-century discovery of an alternative water source led to a dramatic shift in water management and production policies on the island. The associated evidence for cave-settlement is also reviewed. Many of the observations have an application to other parts of the island of Malta that possess a similar geological stratification.

New world record in long distance concrete conveying

The world record in long distance concrete conveying has been beaten by 195 m by a Putzmeister concrete pump - the new record is 2015 m! This new best performance was set up by the French concrete pump service, Transbeton, whilst carrying out refurbishment work in an hydraulic water gallery in Haut Doubs at Le Refrain construction site near the Swiss border.

Clement McAleer, Narrow Water Gallery, Warrenpoint 10 April-9 May 90

Clement McAleer, Narrow Water Gallery, Warrenpoint 10 April-9 May 90

Basil Blackshaw Cherith McKinstry, Narrow Water Gallery Warrenpoint, 27 June - 2 August

Basil Blackshaw Cherith McKinstry, Narrow Water Gallery Warrenpoint, 27 June - 2 August

Factors Contributing to Priority or Nonpriority of Males of Two Heterocerids (Coleoptera) Sharing the Same Habitat

Neoheterocerus pallidus (Say) and Centuriatus auromicans (Kiesenwetter) live near water and construct galleries in wet mud. They are also similar biologically but differ in the mode of fertilization. In N. pallidus, motile spermatozoa from several males mix in the tiny, spherical spermatheca prior to fertilization, and spermatogenesis is intimately correlated with mating and oviposition. In C. auromicans, on the other hand, nonmotile spermatozoa are tightly packed in the large, saclike spermatheca and the spermatozoa from the last male fertilize the majority of eggs; free spermatozoa are produced continuously irrespective of either mating or oviposition. In addition, N. pallidus is more active and its population is much denser than that of C. auromicans. The evolutionary value of these factors is discussed.

Hydraulic design methods for an underground water gallery for a mountain water diversion

Hydraulic design methods for an underground water gallery for a mountain water diversion