Abstract This research aims to quantify the geophysical signature of the laminated layer, one of the main layers constituting the weathering profile of hard rocks. This laminated layer acts as a marker for locating the underlying groundwater productive stratiform fractured layer (SFL). The study is based at two sites on the interpretation of 50 km of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles, compared with outcrops and boreholes by geophysical modelling. For the first time, the geophysical signature of the laminated layer, located at the base of the saprolite, is characterized within granite formations. Where the stratiform weathered layer is detected by pole-dipole ERT profiles, the laminated layer is identified as a resistant layer on 90% of the SFL length using an appropriate inversion method. In addition, this layer is also revealed for the first time in certain types of metamorphic formations; here it is revealed in micaschists (62% of the SFL length). The location of the laminated layer in the weathering profile is important (1) for water well siting by determining if an underlying SFL exists in the weathering profile and (2) for assessing the residual thickness of the saprolite, and then evaluating water storage and the protection of the SFL aquifer. Supplementary material: A table presenting the ERT profiles used in this study, with the type of array and inversion method, the inversion parameters (RMSE and number of iterations), and the length of the inverted profiles where the laminated layer (LL) and the stratiform fractured layer (SFL) are identified is available https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4088768

Abstract Pumping tests carried out in three highly tectonized Mediterranean areas, which share similar climate conditions, were used to characterize hard-rock aquifers and examine the issue of the sustainable yield of wells. On the basis of the identified drawdown trends and hydraulic parameters, pumping scenarios were simulated through different methods. The results show that the long-term trend in the drawdown and the initial thickness of the aquifer constrain the sustainable yield of a well. In the worst cases examined, namely those related to an aquifer with a barrier boundary and a delayed response of the aquifer, the sustainable well yield is 1–2 L s −1 . These well discharge values are significant when compared with those found in other regions of the world, and may be related to the dense network of the discontinuities which characterizes the sites.

ABSTRACT Limestone provides many lessons about Earth’s systems (geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere) through the geochemical, hydrologic, ­tectonic, and rock cycles. Limestone is ideal for teaching cross-disciplinary STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects of biology, chemistry, and physics, along with history and culture through its uses in society as a valuable economic resource. Carbon and calcium chemistry is part of the everyday environment, and limestone deposits around the world are important archives of biotic and abiotic Earth history. Limestones provide data for reconstructing global climate change and provide important “documents” for recreating Earth’s changing biodiversity throughout geologic time, including human history. Limestone precipitation is Earth’s antidote to global warming. Limestone is volumetrically one of our most valuable natural resources with a variety of uses, as well as frequently involved with natural and human-induced environmental hazards. Limestone is a common commodity readily available to all teachers and students, thus it is the ideal material for ­budget-strapped STEM educators to use to address Next Generation Science Standards. Some uses include: using fossils to develop concepts of paleoecology and evolution; using limestones to reconstruct ancient geography (including plate tectonics); and addressing the relevance of limestone to our society as a building stone, for its medical uses, and as a potential hazard associated with karst (caves and sinkholes). Five cross-disciplinary content concepts are addressed to aid teachers in preparing limestone-centric instruction: (1) enhancement of the understanding of chemical reactions and geochemical cycles, (2) biological evolution, (3) physics applications, (4) economic and environmental impacts, and (5) historical and fine arts’ use of limestone.