Infiltration and Short-Time Recharge in Deep Karst Aquifer of the Salento Peninsula (Southern Italy): An Observational Study

Time series of micrometeorological data from the CNR ISAC-Lecce base have been used to estimate the seasonal/yearly surface infiltration in the period 2003-2016 in the Salento peninsula (Southern Italy). The estimated values of infiltration were compared with piezometric levels measured in the regional karst aquifer during the overlapping period 2009-2011. The results, besides the complex groundwater circulation, suggest the possibility of a quite short-time component in the deep aquifer response to the recharge input. This quick response, together with the growing hydroclimatic intensity, outlined in literature studies and observed in the last decade, could increasingly affect the seasonal aquifer dynamics in the near future. Some possible consequences on the water management in karst regions under Mediterranean climate are discussed.