The characterization of a groundwater body involves the construction of a conceptual model that constitutes the base knowledge for monitoring programs, hydrogeological risk assessment, and correct management of water resources. In particular, a detailed geological and geophysical approach was applied to define the alluvial Caronia Groundwater Body (CGWB) and to reconstruct a hydrogeological flow model. The analysis of the CGWB, located in north-eastern Sicily, was initially approached through a reanalysis of previous stratigraphic (boreholes) and geophysical (vertical electrical soundings and seismic refraction profiles) data, subsequently integrated by new seismic acquisitions, such as Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) and horizontal-to-vertical seismic ratio (HVSR). The analysis and reinterpretation of geoelectrical data allowed the construction of a preliminary 3D resistivity model. This initial modeling was subsequently integrated by a geophysical data campaign in order to define the depth of the bottom of the shallow CGWB and the thickness of alluvial deposits. Finally, a preliminary mathematical model flow was generated in order to reconstruct the dynamics of underground water. The results show that integration of multidisciplinary data represent an indispensable tool for the characterization of complex physical systems.

The georadar method was used to try to find some anthropic structures in a large square inside the Carabinieri barracks in the former military complex of San Giacomo degli Spagnoli in Palermo (Italy). These investigations are part of a broader context of a study of the entire area. The purpose of the investigations is to try to understand if under the ground there are the remains of an ancient horse passage that connected the Royal Palace of Palermo with the sea gate of the city. Furthermore, in the Middle Ages, on the site of the present square, there were most likely two churches, which no longer exist, as evidenced by numerous historical testimonies. One of the two, San Giacomo la Mazara, is known to have was placed right in front of the church of San Paolo, the subject of previous investigations. The investigations carried out on the main square of the military district allowed us to reconstruct a 3D georadar model in which numerous anomalies are highlighted. Some superficial anomalies have been attributed to the presence of sub-services, the deeper ones could be caused by the remains of the medieval underground way or those of the no longer existing medieval churches, but identifying their true nature requires further investigations and archaeological tests.

A multidisciplinary approach was employed to construct a three-dimensional model of the bedrock top surface within the Palermo Plain, Sicily, Italy. This urban area is characterized by a dense and extensive built environment that largely obscures its geological features, thereby emphasizing the value of geophysical methods for enhancing subsurface understanding. In this sector, Numidian Flysch deposits constitute the geological bedrock of the plain. The morphology of the top surface of this unit was reconstructed by integrating borehole stratigraphic data with both passive and active seismic surveys. Ambient noise recordings were analyzed using the Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) method to obtain spectral curves. These were then inverted into seismostratigraphic models using shear wave velocity profiles derived by Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) and lithostratigraphic information from borehole logs. Finally, the depth of the top of the Numidian Flysch, determined from both the borehole data and the inverted seismic models, was interpolated to generate a comprehensive 3D model of the bedrock top surface.

The integration of various geophysical methodologies is considered a fundamental tool for accurately reconstructing the extent and shape of a groundwater body and for estimating the physical parameters that characterize it. This is often essential for the management of water resources in areas affected by geological and environmental hazards. This work aims to reconstruct the pattern and extent of two groundwater bodies, located in the coastal sectors of the North-Eastern Sicily, through the integrated analysis and interpretation of several geoelectrical, seismic and geological data. These are the Sant’Agata-Capo D’Orlando (SCGWB) and the Barcelona-Milazzo (BMGWB) Groundwater Bodies, located at the two ends of the northern sector of the Peloritani geological complex. These two studied coastal plains represent densely populated and industrialized areas, in which the quantity and quality of the groundwater bodies are under constant threat. At first, the resistivity models of the two groundwater bodies were realized through the inversion of a dataset of Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES), constrained by stratigraphic well logs data and other geophysical data. The 3D resistivity models obtained by spatially interpolating 1D inverse VES models have allowed for an initial recognition of the distribution of groundwater, as well as a rough geological framework of the subsoil. Subsequently, these models were implemented by integrating results from active and passive seismic data to determine the seismic P and S wave velocities of the main lithotypes. Simultaneous acquisition and interpretation of seismic and electrical tomographies along identical profiles allowed to determine the specific values of seismic velocity, electrical resistivity and chargeability of the alluvial sediments, and to use these values to constrain the HVSR inversion. All this allowed us to recognize the areal extension and thickness of the various lithotypes in the two investigated areas and, finally, to define the depth and the morphology of the base of the groundwater bodies and the thickness of the filling deposits.

In recent years the Government of the Sultanate of Oman has planned the construction of recharge dams in the semi-desert region of Wilayat Ibri, according to the growing domestic water demand for drinking and agricultural use. For this reason, the Engineering Company SERING International planned the construction of rockfill dams, well positioned according to the local morphological and geological context. Using temporary floodwaters and releasing them slowly downstream, these dams increase the water flow of the Aflaj. The latter is the existing traditional irrigation system devised to manage the scarce water resources of the Sultanate. In this paper, we describe the IBRI 14 Dam, namely Wadi Sulayf Dam, with a total length of about 3200 m and lying close to the settlements of Ibri Town, the largest one among those projected. This paper shows the criteria that guided the design studies of the dam linked to the geological and geotechnical features of the area, the main dam characteristic and the activities developed until the work was completed in 2020. This work represents an interesting and useful case study about the complete cycle of realization of a dam, in particular considering that it had been affected by huge flooding during the construction but reporting no significant damage.

A multidisciplinary investigation was conducted in southwestern Sicily, near the seismically active Belice Valley, based on the analysis of morphostructural features. These were observed as open fractures between 2014 and 2017; they were subsequently filled anthropogenically and then reactivated during a seismic swarm in 2019. We generated a seismic event distribution map to analyze the location, magnitude, and depth of earthquakes. This analysis, combined with multitemporal satellite imagery, allowed us to investigate the spatial and temporal relationship between seismic activity and fracture evolution. To investigate the spatial variation in thickness of the superficial cover and to assess the depth to the underlying bedrock or stiffer substratum, 45 Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) ambient noise measurements were conducted. This method, which analyzes the resonance frequency of the ground, produced maps of the amplitude, frequency, and vulnerability index of the ground (K_g). By inverting the HVSR curves, constrained by Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) results, a subsurface model was created aimed at supporting the structural interpretation by highlighting variations in sediment thickness potentially associated with fault-controlled subsidence or deformation zones. The surface investigation revealed depressed elliptical deformation zones, where mainly sands outcrop. Grain-size and morphoscopic analyses of sediment samples helped understand the processes generating these shapes and predict future surface deformation. These elliptical shapes recall the liquefaction process. To investigate the potential presence of subsurface fluids that could have contributed to this process, Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) was performed. The combination of the maps revealed a correlation between seismic activity and surface deformation, and the fractures observed were interpreted as inherited tectonic and/or geomorphological structures.