The coastal karstic aquifer of Vlora (Albania)

Abstract

The coastal karstic aquifer of Mt. Oyramanges (1864 m asl) is located in the Vlora Bay, along the Adriatic coast. The quality of the spring water there is so high that it is used to supply the drinking supply of the second largest Albanian town, Vlora. Starting from a geological and tectonic conceptualization of the area, a GIS approach based on long-term rainfall, temperature and river yield time series has been used to define hydrologic balance. The assessment of recharge and the measurement of sub-aerial spring discharge permit the rough assessment of submarine groundwater discharge. The definition of the flow domain and of groundwater chemical features is pursued with an on-going survey which includes chemical and isotopic analyses of rainfall, groundwater and sea water.