OZCAR-RI SNO_KARST Mediterranean and coastal site of Port-Miou - France

Basic Information
Site Name
OZCAR-RI SNO_KARST Mediterranean and coastal site of Port-Miou
Short name
Port-Miou SNO_Karst
Country
France
Operating Organisation
Site Manager
Site Description
The Mediterranean and coastal site of Port-Miou is a wide regional carbonate aquifer, with a catchment area around 400 km², in south of France (Provence, France). It extends mainly over natural land, in the vicinity of one of the main city of France (Marseille), facing recent urban expansion and future groundwater resources management issues. Top of the recharge area culminates at 1100 m asl, and the main outlets are submarine springs. Karst features are observed in surface (polje, intermittent rivers, sinkholes, karren, caves) and underground. Many karst networks have been explored in the unsaturated zone of the aquifer, but also in the saturated zone below the sea level. Karst features and conduits drive the groundwater flows to the main outlets. The Port-Miou submarine springs outflow from huge flooded karst conduits, explored by cave diving over several kilometers inland, and to -235 m deep. Groundwater is brackish, polluted by seawater intrusion. The Port-Miou observation site includes flow rate, salinity and temperature monitoring at the main brackish spring, in an in-situ underground laboratory located 500 m inland from the seashore, directly in the main karst conduit. Rainfall is also recording in the catchment area, and rain water samples are collected for water isotopes observation.
Last modified
2024-03-04 09:03:17

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General Characteristics and Status
Site Status
Operational
Year Established
2010
Observed properties
Affiliation and Network Specific Information
Affiliation
ILTERThis site is a verified "ILTER" member.
SNO KarstThe affiliation of this site with "SNO Karst" is not verified by the network on DEIMS-SDR.
OZCAR RIThis site is a verified "OZCAR RI" member.
LTER EuropeThis site is a verified "LTER Europe" member.
LTER France (CZO_EU_FR_188)This site is a verified "LTER France" member.
Photos
Port-Miou underground dam (France)
Port-Miou underground dam (France)
Water sampler in the Port-Miou in-situ laboratory (France)
Water sampler in the Port-Miou in-situ laboratory (France)
The Port-Miou calanque (Cassis, France) where the submarine spring outflows
The Port-Miou calanque (Cassis, France) where the submarine spring outflows
Urgonian limestones (early Cretaceous mudstone) [Cassis, France]
Urgonian limestones (early Cretaceous mudstone) [Cassis, France]
Karst feature (karren) in the Port-Miou recharge area (France)
Karst feature (karren) in the Port-Miou recharge area (France)
Karst landscape in the Port-Miou recharge area (France)
Karst landscape in the Port-Miou recharge area (France)
Bauxite deposit in a paleo-karren (late Cretaceous) (Sainte Baume, France)
Bauxite deposit in a paleo-karren (late Cretaceous) (Sainte Baume, France)
Water sample in the Port-Miou in-situ laboratory (France)
Water sample in the Port-Miou in-situ laboratory (France)
Geographic
Centroid/Representative Coordinates

Latitude: 43.21 Longitude: 5.514

Size
ca. 40000.00ha
Elevation (average)
400.00msl
Elevation (min)
0.00msl
Elevation (max)
1100.00msl
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Site information [.json]

Centroid/representative coordinates [.shp] [.kml]
Bounding Box [.shp] [.kml]
Boundaries [.shp] [.kml]