Linda Daniele

• Hydrogeology
• Associate Professor at University of Chile

Groundwater in high-mountain areas like the Central Chilean Andes is a crucial freshwater source for downstream communities. However, its pristine reputation masks a hidden threat when metallogenic systems exist: Natural Acid Drainage (NAD). This study comprehensively investigates the hydrogeological systems and the impact of NAD on groundwater qua...

Ensuring water supply under climate change scenarios is a global concern, and groundwater resources play a crucial role. Aquifer depletion is a worldwide trend (Famiglietti and Ferguson, 2021; Jasechko et al., 2024), and Chile is no exception. Through a statistical approach with strong hydrogeological criteria, the groundwater overexploitation phen...

Groundwater in high-mountain areas like the Central Chilean Andes (Fig. 1a, b) is a crucial freshwater source for downstream communities (Viviroli et al., 2020). However, its pristine reputation masks a hidden threat when metallogenic systems exist: Natural Acid Drainage (NAD). This study comprehensively investigated the hydrogeological systems and...

Ensuring water supply under climate change scenarios is a global concern, and groundwater resources play a crucial role. Aquifer depletion is a worldwide trend, and Chile is no exception. Through a statistical approach with strong hydrogeological criteria, the groundwater overexploitation phenomenon is studied in Central Chile, the most populated r...

Temperature, pH, and hydrochemistry of terrestrial hot springs play a critical role in shaping thermal microbial communities. However, the interactions of biotic and abiotic factors at this terrestrial-aquatic interface are still not well understood on a global scale, and the question of how underground events influence microbial communities remain...

Ensuring water supply under climate change scenarios is a global concern, and groundwater resources play a crucial role. Aquifer depletion is a worldwide trend, and Chile is no exception. We analysed 26,065 groundwater rights and 222 observation wells to assess the groundwater levels and pumping evolution between 1970 and 2020 in Central Chile. Wit...

The increasing population in urban areas in the last decades requires an effort to understand the geochemistry of contaminant elements in urban soil. Topsoil plays a crucial role in the exposure of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) to humans through ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation. In Chile, the last census revealed that 88.6% of people l...

An 'oasis' signifies a refugium of safety, recovery, relaxation, fertility, and productivity in an inhospitable desert, a sweet spot in a barren landscape where life-giving water spills forth from the Earth. Remarkable mythological congruencies exist across dryland cultures worldwide where oases or 'arid-land springs' occur. In many places they als...

Frente al problema de escasez hídrica forzada por el cambio climático en Chile, particularmente en la zona norte del país, se han instalado plantas desalinizadoras de distintos tamaños, con varias más en proceso de estudio y evaluación. La masificación de esta tecnología nos plantea el desafío de planificar su desarrollo futuro tomando decisiones...

This study aims to explain the selective reactivation of normal faults during the Andean orogeny at the Southern Central Andes western flank. We conducted a structural mapping and paleostress field reconstruction in the regional-scale Pocuro Fault Zone (PFZ) at 32.8°S. Results reveal that the architecture of the PFZ results from at least two deform...

Geochemical surveying is one of the techniques of geothermal exploration that include geothermometry to estimate the temperature of deep reservoirs. This work provides the temperature estimation of geothermal resources, geochemical analysis, and a conceptual model of the geothermal reservoir located to the western flank of the Nevado del Ruiz Volca...

The Commune of Santiago is an administrative unit belonging to Chile's capital city. It is the central hub for local transportation services and the centre of most national government functions. In 2017, a geochemical survey was carried out focusing on the topsoils of the commune. A total of 121 samples were homogeneously collected across an area o...

Laguna del Maule Volcanic Field (LdMVF, 36° 10′ S), located in the Southern Andean Volcanic Zone, concentrates an extraordinary postglacial (<25 ka) rhyolitic volcanism and records one of the highest world rates of surface uplift (>20 cm/yr since 2007). Different papers have been published concerning magmatism and geophysical survey but no research...

In2017,ageochemical survey was carried out across the Commune of Santiago, a local administrative unit located at the center of the namesake capital city of Chile, and the concentration of a number of major and trace elements (53 in total) was determined on 121 topsoil samples. Multifractal IDW (MIDW) interpolation method was applied to raw data to...

Ischia is a volcanic island located NW of the Gulf of Naples (South Italy). The island of Ischia is a structurally complex hydrothermal active system that hosts a fractured aquifer system whose geometry and hydraulic properties are still partly unknown. The aquifer system of Ischia, composed mainly of Quaternary volcanic deposits and marine sedimen...

The livelihood of inhabitants from rural agricultural valleys in the arid Arica and Parinacota Region, northernmost Chile, strongly depends on water from high altitude rainfall and runoff to lower elevation areas. However, elevated arsenic, boron, and other potentially harmful elements compromise water quality, especially in rural areas. Samples (n...

GIS DATA (shp and KML) are from a recent published article in SAMES (Viguier et al., 2019) ), describing the changes in the aquifer conceptual model of the Pampa del Tamarugal Aquifer. - The updated limits of the aquifer in the late Miocene El Diablo Fm. - The updated groundwater levels covering the period 2012-2015.

In the present study, we combined stable isotopes and anthropogenic tracers to investigate the origin, residence times, and evolution of thermal waters in the Lonquimay-Tolhuaca Volcanic Complex (LTVC) of the southern Chilean Andes. A total of 20 water samples from springs discharging at a broad range of temperatures (8–96°C) were collected and ana...

Advances in new technologies and the desire to achieve a sustainable and safe energy supply, enable communities to transition from conventional to renewable resources, such as geothermal energy. Perception and acceptance amongst different audiences have a high impact on the feasibility of energy projects, which is an important aspect to analyze. Fo...

The Caviahue-Copahue Volcanic Complex (CCVC) hosts one of Argentina's most important geothermal systems. To provide new insights into origin, circulation, and residence time of fluids, the chemical and isotopic composition (³He/⁴He, δ²H-δ¹⁸O in H2O; δ¹³C-δ¹⁸O in CO2; ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) of thermal waters was measured together with the ³H and ¹⁴C activities....

The Mountain-Block Recharge (MBR), also referred to as the hidden recharge, consists of groundwater inflows from the mountain block into adjacent alluvial aquifers. This is a significant recharge process in arid environments, but frequently discarded since it is imperceptible from the ground surface. In fault-controlled Mountain Front Zones (MFZs),...

In this paper we presented the statistical information and spatial distributions of Pb, Zn, Cd and Sn obtained from the analyzes conducted on 121 topsoil samples from the city of Santiago. Results show essentially the anthropogenic impact that required an additional children health risk assessment for Pb exposure for both its toxic or carcinogenic...

In October 1966, an intense precipitation event (190 mm in 24 h) broke an old tailings retaining structure in the "El Segundo" mining district in the western sector of Spain's Sierra de Gador, generating a contaminated flood. The Pb-F rich mixture flowed for more than 12 km through the dry riverbeds, damaging infrastructures and crops. In March, 20...

Generating strategies and techniques to feed the increasing world population is a significant challenge under climate change effects such as drought. Rural areas are especially sensitive to such effects as they are unable to overcome the lack of water with new agricultural production techniques. In developing countries, rural communities commonly d...

Generating strategies and techniques to feed the increasing world population is a significant challenge under climate change effects such as drought. Rural areas are especially sensitive to such effects as they are unable to overcome the lack of water with new agricultural production techniques. In developing countries, rural communities commonly d...

Mining activities are among the main sources of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the environment which constitute a real concern worldwide, especially in developing countries. These activities have been carried out for more than a century in Chile, South America, where, as evidence of incorrect waste disposal practices, several abandoned mining...

In October 1966, an intense precipitation event (190 mm in 24 h) broke an old tailings retaining structure in the “El Segundo” mining district in the western sector of Spain’s Sierra de Gador, generating a contaminated flood. The Pb-F rich mixture flowed for more than 12 km through the dry riverbeds, damaging infrastructures and crops. In March, 20...

Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) hosts numerous thermal springs (25–85 °C), related to Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault System (LOFS) and Andean Transverse Faults (ATFs), suggesting the feasibility of low- to high-enthalpy geothermal exploitation. However, the local understanding of processes and factors controlling the high-temperature groundwater circulation rema...

Advances in new technologies and ensuring a sustainable and safe energy supply, put communities in a key position to achieve the transition from conventional to renewable resources, such as geothermal energy. Perception and acceptance have a high impact on the feasibility of energy projects amongst different audiences, which is an important aspect...

Advances in new technologies and the desire to achieve a sustainable and safe energy supply, enable communities to transition from conventional to renewable resources, such as geothermal energy. Perception and acceptance amongst different audiences have a high impact on the feasibility of energy projects, which is an important aspect to analyze. Fo...

Advances in new technologies and the desire to achieve a sustainable and safe energy supply, enable communities to transition from conventional to renewable resources, such as geothermal energy. Perception and acceptance amongst different audiences have a high impact on the feasibility of energy projects, which is an important aspect to analyze. Fo...

The misunderstanding of hydrogeological processes together with the oversimplification of aquifer conceptual models result in numerous inaccuracies in the management of groundwater resources. In Central Chile (32–36°S), hydrogeological studies have exclusively focused to alluvial aquifers in valleys (~15% of total area) and mountain-front zones rem...

El presente documento es el resultado de un largo proceso que se extiende a lo largo de los años 2018, 2019 y 2020. Su hito participativo inicial tuvo lugar el 12 de octubre del 2018, en el conversatorio “El Riesgo de Vivir en Zonas de Sacrificio”, desarrollado en la Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo de la Universidad de Chile. Su hito participa...

Using a statistical approach, Scheihing attempts to demonstrate the direct influence of recharge events in the Precordillera and the Andean Piedmont on water table variations in downstream alluvial fans. The author “unquestionably” discards the existence of ephemeral recharge processes in alluvial fans although they are frequently impacted by major...

In Central Chile, the increment of withdrawals together with drought conditions has exposed the poor understanding of the regional hydrogeological system. In this study, we addressed the Western Andean Front hydrogeology by hydrogeochemical and water stable isotope analyses of 23 springs, 10 boreholes, 5 rain-collectors and 5 leaching-rocks samples...

The shallow geothermal energy (SGE) is experiencing a continued growth in Ibero-American countries in keeping with the worldwide concern about climate change. To promote the use of SGE in Latin America, the Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development (Programa de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo – CYTED) is financially s...

The dolomite coastal aquifer of Balanegra (SE Spain) is the only source of irrigation water in an area of flourishing intensive agriculture. This scenario has consequently led to a severe exploitation of the water resources. This aquifer extends from the edges of the Sierra de Gádor to the sea, deepening progressively under the thick Neogene sedime...

The interaction of meteoric waters with sulfides in areas affected by hydrothermal alteration produces acid drainage, which is a major environmental issue. Acid waters typically have a pH in the range of 2-4 and high concentration of metals that could be toxic to most living organisms, even for human health depending of concentration. In the highes...

In arid and semiarid regions, a significant component of recharge to sedimentary basin aquifers occurs along mountain front zones (i.e. mountain front recharge and mountain blocks recharge). Central Chile is characterized by a north-south Central Depression (~400 m a.s.l) filled by Quaternary alluvial deposits and bordered to the east by fractured...

In the hyperarid Atacama Desert (Northern Chile), the economic and social development is supported using fossil groundwater. The groundwater extraction (GWE)has significantly increased over the last 30 years, reaching ∼4.2 m³.s⁻¹ in 2018 (+1890%)at the Pampa del Tamarugal Aquifer (PTA). But opposite assumptions lead to uncertainties concerning the...

La geología a lo largo de la Cordillera de Los Andes muestra evidencia de un control espacio – temporal de fallas geológicas cuyas redes de fracturas permiten la circulación de fluidos en la corteza superior. Con el objetivo de analizar el rol de una zona de falla en el control espacio – temporal del flujo de fluidos, se estudió la Zona de Falla Po...

In Chile almost 90% of the total population lives in urban areas, making the need for studies on environmental conditions of urbanized areas a relevant topic, due to the huge amount of human lives potentially exposed to contaminants. Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) are considered the most ubiquitous contaminants in anthropized areas and they are...

Around the world, heating is a major requirement. The growing demand of energy has led to significant pollutant emissions, which resulted in the development of unconventional heating technologies, such as geothermic. Low temperature geothermal resources are abundant, and its extraction is not so complicated due to the low reservoir depth and the re...

The Lonquimay-Tolhuaca volcanic complex and its surrounding area host several geothermal surface manifestations, including fumaroles, thermal springs, and bubbling pools. Previous studies have shown that fault systems with different orientations exert an important control on the chemical composition of thermal springs in the area. However, fundamen...

In the upper part of Aconcagua basin there are many thermal springs and secondary minerals that show a hotter hydrothermal past than today. Pocuro fault acted like conduits which allowed the hot deep fluid circulation, however at the present, allows the shallow groundwater circulation by its damage zone. Through reactive transport simulations by Cr...

The Aysen region, located in Southern Patagonia, Chile (43°38′S to 49°16′S) has optimum conditions for the formation of geothermal systems: Magmatic processes, abundant rainfall and active faults systems. In fact, several thermal springs emerge in coastal and inland areas of the Aysen region. Thermal springs in the coastal areas are spatially relat...

Porcelana Geysers are located on the slopes of Barranco Colorado volcano, southern Chile, and is characterized by having a lateral hydrothermal fluid transport and an important CO2 content, having high gas exsolution rates on the surface at temperatures above 80°C. But it does not seem to be enough to explain the genesis of columnar travertines mor...

Se presenta la metodología elaborada para actualizar el balance hídrico en Chile y se muestran los desafíos de la modelación en las cuencas pilotos seleccionadas en el estudio.

As a result of numerous studies over the past 3 decades of both active terrestrial geothermal systems and their fossil equivalents, the epithermal precious and base metal deposits, there is now a large database of fluid and mineral properties in these systems. Coupled with the numerical modelling of thermal-hydrological-chemical processes we have a...

Coyhaique is the capital city of the Aysén region, Chilean Patagonia. The city, one of the most polluted in the country, was classified as a saturated area with respect to particulate matter by August 2012. The main source of pollution is the burning of firewood for heating purposes. Therefore, we propose Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHPs) as a renewable...

In order to identify the origin of the main processes that affect the composition of groundwater in a karstic aquifer, a hydrogeochemical and isotopic study was carried out of water from numerous observation wells located in Sierra de Gador, a semiarid region in SE Spain. Several natural and anthropogenic tracers were used to calculate groundwater...

Iodine enrichment in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile is widespread and varies significantly between reservoirs, including nitrate-rich “caliche” soils, supergene Cu deposits and marine sedimentary rocks. Recent studies have suggested that groundwater has played a key role in the remobilization, transport and deposition of iodine in Atacama ove...

This study reports textures and homogenization temperatures of primary fluid inclusions on dolomites hosted in Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous age carbonate sequence from the Riópar area (Mesozoic Prebetic Basin, SE Spain). Five dolomite texture-types have been identified: i) planar subhedral replacive dolomite (ReD); ii) transition between plan...

This work presents the results of a regional-scale estimation of low-enthalpy geothermal resources for district heating in the Santiago basin. The purpose of this work is to identify promising areas for the development of this type of renewable energy. The estimation was based on comparison of soil thermal properties and hydrogeological parameters,...

The hydrogeochemical characteristics of the Cabo de Gata coastal aquifer (southeastern Spain) were studied in an attempt to explain the anomalous salinity of its groundwater. This detritic aquifer is characterised by the presence of waters with highly contrasting salinities; in some cases the salinity exceeds that of seawater. Multivariate analysis...

The Campo de Dalías (Almería, south-eastern Spain) was the backdrop for the development of intensive agricultural activity during the 1970s. Due to the poor natural soil development, the agriculturalists opted for a system that involved quarrying silt and clay deposits that could be used as soil in the greenhouses. In parallel, poor water quality i...

Sierra de Gádor is a complex, Triassic age aquifer system formed by dolostones and limestones with interbedded gypsum. On top, a thick Neogene-Quaternary series gives rise to shallow aquifers. F-Pb-Zn stratabound deposits are found within the Triassic carbonate formations. Their mineral paragenesis includes sphalerite, galena, pyrite, marcasite, fl...

Dedolomitization or calcitization, the replacement of dolomite by calcite, modifies the porosity and permeability of carbonate rocks. This study evaluates the effects of dedolomitization on the porosity of carbonates by means of geochemical and reactive transport simulations. The obtained results indicate that dedolomitization is a slow process tha...

a b s t r a c t The hydrogeological unit of Aguadulce (Campo de Dalías aquifers, SE Spain) has a complex geometry. This fact, together with a continuous rise in water demand due to intensive agriculture and tourism create problems for groundwater quantity and quality. In this paper classic geochemical tools managed by means of GIS software and geoc...

This study provides geochemical data with the aim of assisting in the proper managing of groundwater resources and so avoiding negative impacts on the aquifers. The area covers the coastal aquifer of Cabo de Gata, which supplies a new desalination plant. Groundwater samples, to different depths, were characterized to identify the main processes occ...

The Campo de Dalías, in south-eastern Spain, is an area of important economic activity linked to agriculture and tourism, both of which have exacted fierce exploitation of aquifer water. The recovery of one of these aquifers in recent years has even triggered fresh water discharges into the sea. An oceanographic survey was undertaken along the coas...

The Mediterranean south-eastern Spanish coastline is a semiarid region, with rainfalls that usually do not exceed 300 mm/year, where surface water is scanty and frequently nonexistent. The different human activities developed in this area, as urban and touristic development and especially the intense agricultural activity, exercise a strong pressur...

Isotopic fractionation of 10B/11B provides a sound tool for identifying hydrogeochemical processes in complex areas, owing to its ability to discriminate between various scenarios. In addition, the occurrence of boron as a minor element in areas of active volcanism allows its use in comparison with concentrations of other conservative or non-conser...

The Aguadulce aquifer unit in southeastern Spain is a complex hydrogeological system because of the varied lithology of the aquifer strata and the variability of the processes that can take place within the unit. Factorial analysis of the data allowed the number of variables to be reduced to 3 factors, which were found to be related to such physico...

Recently, the Junta de Andalucia (Autonomous Regional Government of Andalusia) has taken on the financing of the research project given by the title of this communication. The project represents an ambitious proposal to determine, as precisely as possible, the operation of the hydrogeological system that underpins large part of the economy of Almer...

Use of δ11B provides a solid tool for discriminating hydrogeochemical processes in complex coastal aquifers. Its efficiency increases markedly when it is applied along with other major or minor constituents. Nevertheless, various factors may affect its interpretation: the presence of clays, which favour adsorption and desorption, the influence of w...