TITLE:
Fuzzy Logic Implementation of Vulnerability Assessment in a Coastal Aquifer of Northern Sicily
AUTHORS:
Antonio Cimino, Adolfo Cimino, Antonino Oieni
KEYWORDS:
Fuzzy Logic, Groundwater Vulnerability, Acquedolci Plain, SINTACS Method, Pearson Correlation Coefficient
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.9 No.8,
August
26,
2021
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.