GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE LONGRANGE POLLUTION EFFECTS IN REMOTE AREAS
(HIMALAYAS, NEPAL)
Gianni
TARTARr,l, Massimo
ANTONINETTl b ,
Giancarlo BORTOLAMl c , Pietro A. BRIVIO b , Claudia
DE VITO c , Giorgio IABICHINO d , Monica PEPE b ,
Gabriele A. TARTARr and Sara VALSECCHi a •
aCNR Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque. 20047 Brugherio, Italy
bCNR Istituto di Ricerca sui Rischio Sismico, Via Ampere 56. 20131 Milano,
Italy
CDipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita di Torino. Via Accademia delle
Scienze 5. 10123 Torino, Italy
dCNR Centro di Studio per i Problemi Minerari, C/o Politecnico di Torino,
Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24. 10129 Torino, Italy
eCNR Istituto Italiano di Idrobiologia, Largo Tonolli 50/52. 28048 VerbaniaPallanza, Italy
ABSTRACT
In the framework of the Italian Ev-K2_CNR Project (High Mountain Scientific and
Technological Research) a Geographic Information System (G.l.S.) has been
planned to model the hydrochemical characteristics of lacustrine environment due
to interactions between meteoric waters and soils. The study area is located in the
Khumbu valley, at the foot of Mount Everest in the Himalayan Nepal, where, at an
altitude of 5,050 m a.s.l., a "Pyramid" of glass and aluminium has been installed
to host the scientific laboratories and researchers. The G./.S. will be organized
with different layers containing geographical, geological, geochemical and
hydrological information of the area, collected from available cartography,
enhanced remotely sensed imagery and in situ field studies. A Kumbu-Himal lake
cadastre, including hydrochemical and geo-lithological characteristics, the
assessment of water quality and the inventory of phyto and zooplankton
populations of monitored lakes, will be included in the G./.S. to obtain a better
definition of the principal components determining the basic chemical composition
of the lake environment. The comparison and interpretation of the different data
can be useful to identify the presence and the consequent influence of long-range
pollution in this area, in an attempt to understand the processes by which many
chemicals are transported, and the long-term effects on the lacustrine
environment.
1 To whom correspondence may be addressed
C. Bardinet et al. (eds.), Geosciences and Water Resources: Environmental Data Modeling
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1997
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE LONGRANGE POLLUTION EFFECTS IN REMOTE AREAS
(HIMALAYAS, NEPAL)
Gianni
TARTARr,l, Massimo
ANTONINETTl b ,
Giancarlo BORTOLAMl c , Pietro A. BRIVIO b , Claudia
DE VITO c , Giorgio IABICHINO d , Monica PEPE b ,
Gabriele A. TARTARr and Sara VALSECCHi a •
aCNR Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque. 20047 Brugherio, Italy
bCNR Istituto di Ricerca sui Rischio Sismico, Via Ampere 56. 20131 Milano,
Italy
CDipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita di Torino. Via Accademia delle
Scienze 5. 10123 Torino, Italy
dCNR Centro di Studio per i Problemi Minerari, C/o Politecnico di Torino,
Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24. 10129 Torino, Italy
eCNR Istituto Italiano di Idrobiologia, Largo Tonolli 50/52. 28048 VerbaniaPallanza, Italy
ABSTRACT
In the framework of the Italian Ev-K2_CNR Project (High Mountain Scientific and
Technological Research) a Geographic Information System (G.l.S.) has been
planned to model the hydrochemical characteristics of lacustrine environment due
to interactions between meteoric waters and soils. The study area is located in the
Khumbu valley, at the foot of Mount Everest in the Himalayan Nepal, where, at an
altitude of 5,050 m a.s.l., a "Pyramid" of glass and aluminium has been installed
to host the scientific laboratories and researchers. The G./.S. will be organized
with different layers containing geographical, geological, geochemical and
hydrological information of the area, collected from available cartography,
enhanced remotely sensed imagery and in situ field studies. A Kumbu-Himal lake
cadastre, including hydrochemical and geo-lithological characteristics, the
assessment of water quality and the inventory of phyto and zooplankton
populations of monitored lakes, will be included in the G./.S. to obtain a better
definition of the principal components determining the basic chemical composition
of the lake environment. The comparison and interpretation of the different data
can be useful to identify the presence and the consequent influence of long-range
pollution in this area, in an attempt to understand the processes by which many
chemicals are transported, and the long-term effects on the lacustrine
environment.
1 To whom correspondence may be addressed
C. Bardinet et al. (eds.), Geosciences and Water Resources: Environmental Data Modeling
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1997