Ancient Underground Fresh Water Pool Discovered In Underneath Part Of Sicilian Mountains

Experts said that an ancient, underground fresh water pool has been discovered in the underneath portion of the Sicilian Mountains.

The study indicated that deep groundwater resources around the world represent an important potential unconventional source of water.

(Photo : Getty Images/GUILLAUME BAPTISTE)

Discovery Of Extensive Groundwater

Researchers have documented an extensive (17.3 km³) fresh/brackish groundwater body preserved in a deep (between 800 and 2100 m) carbonate platform aquifer (Gela Formation) in southern Sicily (Italy), by using deep well data and a 3D hydrogeological modelling.

They attributed the distribution of this fossil groundwater to topographically-driven meteoric recharge driven by the Messinian sea-level drawdown, which we estimate to have reached 2400 m below present sea level in the eastern Mediterranean Basin.

The discovery of such an extensive and deep freshened groundwater has significant implications in terms of resource potential for southern Sicily as well as other Mediterranean coastal regions, which share similar geological setting and water scarcity issues.

Scientists have pointed out that groundwater resources are a potential unconventional source of water and potable water that can address water scarcity globally.

They noted that fresh and brackish (low salinity) deep groundwater, both from confined and fossil aquifers, have been found onshore and along coastlines down to depths of several kilometers, hosted in both clastic and carbonate aquifers worldwide.

The examples include the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer across Chad, Egypt, Libya, and Sudan, down to 3500 m5,6; the Upper Mega aquifer system of the Arabian platform, at >400 m of depth7; the Great Artesian Basin in Australia, down to 2000 m of depth8; Tanzania coastal aquifer at 1000 m of depth9; the Horn of Africa aquifer at >400 m of depth10, among others.

The study found out that the origin of these large deep groundwater systems is considered as due to the meteoric water recharge during previous geological epochs, e.g., associated with inter-glacial pluvial periods and lower sea levels, thousands to a million of years ago (e.g., the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer, the Arabian Upper Mega aquifer).

Some of them (the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer, the Arabian Upper Mega Aquifer, and the Great Artesian Basin Aquifer) have been exploited for decades for agricultural irrigation, domestic supply, and industry, while others (the Horn of Africa aquifer) are still undeveloped.

Deeply Buried Groundwater

As a result of the study, the scientists identified an extensive deeply buried body of fresh/brackish groundwater, hosted in the Gela Fm. carbonates.

They also demonstrated how the postulated dramatic MSC sea-level drawdown indeed exerted a fundamental control on the emplacement of these deep groundwater, in agreement with the shallow-water, deep-basin model.

Specifically, the objectives of the study are to characterize the geometry, extent, and volume of these deep fresh/brackish groundwater; assess its origin as due to enhanced topographically-driven flow during the MSC sea-level drawdown; estimate the extent of MSC sea-level drawdown; and explore implications for groundwater resource potential along the Mediterranean coastline.

Through the help of the research, experts were able to address these objectives and knowledge gaps by investigating a large oil and gas deep well dataset and by employing 3D geological and hydrogeological modeling.