Isotopic features of rivers and groundwater of the Parma Province (Northern Italy) and their relationships with precipitation

The Enza, Parma, Baganza, Taro and Po rivers and several waters from aquifers of the area of the Parma town (northern Italy) have been investigated for oxygen and hydrogen isotopes. Enza, Parma, Baganza and Taro differ from Po in having higher isotope ratios and the Taro River exhibits an isotope ratio higher than those of Enza, Parma and Baganza. The low values of Po are due to the dominant contribution of waters coming from glaciers and precipitation occurring along the Alps. The high values of the Taro River are probably due to the fact that its catchment basin extends close to the Tyrrhenian sea and is well opened to perturbations coming from the west. The isotopic values of the present day precipitations occurring along the northern Apennine piedmont area are lower than in rivers. On the contrary, the rivers resemble waters issuing from springs located close the Apennine ridge; the isotopic values of the last waters probably approach those in the precipitation occurring at present along the Apennine ridge. Reasonably, the low isotope values recorded in precipitation of the Apennines piedmont area are due to cold air masses invading the Po plain from N or NE rather than only to the change in the regime of precipitation (higher amount in cold periods, lower amount in the hot periods). Waters of the aquifer of the Po plain have been investigated in the Priorato, Parola and Parma fields (Parma Province). The aquifers are largely fed by the surface hydrographic system: their waters have constant isotopic composition and resemble waters of the Apennines rivers. They are also isotopically similar to the average precipitation occurring from 1995 to 2006, but differ largely from recent (2003–2005) precipitation. Minor isotopic variations recorded in a well of the Priorato field suggest that this well is partly fed by local precipitation.