The sector contributes to a better management of water resources by offering information and thematic cartography through internet services to public and private users. In the field of hydrogeology, the offered services are extended to specific applications like geophysical methods of prospection (Vertical electric sounding, resistivity, VLF prospection), tracking probes and development of mathematical models applied to the solution of geological issues. In limnological scope, the services include determinations of biological species present in water, measurements of physical parameters of lakes and rivers and analysis of geological and biological underwater samples.

Testing multi tracking

The artificial tracers in hydrogeology are frequently used for solving various hydrogeological and technical problems. For example they allow ensuring losses from ducts, measuring the flow velocity of groundwater, the groundwater protection capacity of soil or the existence of connections between two points in an aquifer. The sector has expertise in the design, implementation and interpretation of evidence tracking in different geological environments such as cracked and granular karst.

Evidence of infiltration

The probes of infiltration are performed to determine the capacity of geological materials to let the water pass through. This ability plays a significant role in many construction sites where a decent drainage is essential and where it is necessary to have a waterproof surface. The sector offers as service the proof the so called double ring penetration, according to the standard ASTM D3385-94, which allows to evaluate the rate of infiltration for materials with a permeability including fra1 * 10-6 to 1 *10-2 m s-1.

Detecting “Very Low Frequency – VLF”

The presence of water and other underground conductive structures, like metal minerals, can be determined through indirect methods. These methods without large investments allow you to detect their presence in the subsurface. VLF measurements represent a passive measuring instrument through the electromagnetic secondary field are able to provide quickly and accurately information on the presence of subsurface conductive structures.

Passive seismograhpy

The noise, present in the environment and generated by the different sources like traffic, winds or thunderstorms can be used to determine the composition of the subsoil, using special 3D geophones. With these tools one can quickly determine the depth of a rock, for example, or the thickness of a sedimentary cover which is very important in construction to quantify the excavation volumes but also in various geological problems.

Electrical coring

Electrical coring is a method that allows getting information on the composition of the subsurface through its electrical proprieties. Through four aligned electrodes it measures the variation of the electrical resistivity by varying the distance between them. With special algorithms is possible to interpret the values transforming them into a succession of layers with uniform electrical resistivity. Since the electrical properties of geological materials are often strongly related to the presence of water, is a widely used tool in hydrogeological exploration.

Apparent conductivity of soils

The presence and distribution of water and salts in the soil determines changes of its conductivity. Using apparent conductivity, these changes can be measured with special instruments which generate a magnetic field and force a response of the ground, which can be interpreted in terms of salt content. These techniques have a widespread use in agriculture.