La geofisica applicata ai beni ambientali e culturali: metodologie integrate di valutazione delle risorse e dei rischi

Abstract

Geophysical parameters and related information, were originally supplied by applied geophysics so as to offer a significant contribution in the description of geological structures involved in territorial management and in the planning of environmental settlements. Recently, these indirect exploration techniques have been usefully converted into smaller scale sectors, where the demand for integrated studies is becoming increasingly necessary. In this sense, historical disciplines and cultural management can benefit from a systematical approach towards the exploration of new resources and the conservation of existing ones. Geophysical studies have become part of a general interpretative scheme which, till a decade ago, would have appeared rather peculiar. Besides, the environmental impact linked with the management and discharge of waste materials and with the protection and recovery of those areas which are concerned with this increasingly spreading phenomenon, require a much deeper and reliable knowledge of physical parameters. These can no longer simply be extrapolated, but need to be evaluated in an integrated and combined manner. Last but not least, natural resources, first of all hydrological ones, appear to be less renewable, thus requiring alternative, or even substitutive supply when acquifers are polluted or unusable. The singling out of these resources requires a variety of investigations which necessarily have to be, in most cases, speedy but not as destructive as standard geophysical ones. The information derived from the surveys also provides effective instruments, which can be used for the elaboration of appropriate settlements. The geophysical applications described in this paper, represent some examples of research dealing with environmental problems conducted by the authors in various fields. The techniques which were adopted are some of the many geophysical methods that could be applied to undertake the environmental tasks the authors had in mind. In any case, these techniques represent, referring to the described cases, a valuable attempt of combined integration of geophysical data so as to achieve a more reliable evaluation of territorial resources, natural hazards and anthropic impacts.