Research Program: THALIS-DAPHNE

WP1: Project Management and Coordination

Objectives: The main objectives are: (i) the coordination of the project; (ii) the development of synergy between the research teams, (iii) the tuning of the work programme, so that interdependent tasks (in terms of production of tools/data) will deliver according to the required time table; (iv) timely preparation and the quality control of the deliverables; (v) the web-site building and maintenance; and (vi) to train young scientists in relevant matters.

WP2: Geo-Environmental Database of Existing Information

Objectives: The collection and organization of all available data concerning the geo-environment of Pinios delta. More specifically the data mining will include the geological evolution of the delta during the Oligocene, its lithostratigraphy, surface morphology, sedimentological characteristics, the coastal oceanography of the marine part of the delta, the surface and ground water circulation within the delta and its chemistry. Additionally, data concerning the human impact and the climate change case scenarios will be aggregated. The data will be digitized, homogenized and converted into a unique and dynamic geo-database for further evaluation and interpretation in a Geographic Information System environment.

WP3. Current Status of Deltaic System

Objectives: To register the geological, geomorphological, climatological and coastal oceanographic characteristics of the investigated coastal area (i.e. the Pinios Deltaic plain) in a functional, unified and updateable geo-database. In addition, the various human activities and specific information/data regarding the surface and ground water resources will also be gathered and incorporated to the aforementioned geo-database. The final objective will be the development of a software package module, which could potentially be used in different deltas and being the base for the development of a management tool (see Task 6.4).  

WP4. Geophysical & Hydrogeological Research

Objectives: The hydrogeological structure of the coastal agricultural land will be revealed through the collection of data from geophysical surveys that will contribute to the determination of the subsurface geological/stratigraphical information (e.g. Task 3.1). The geophysical data will be ground truthed with information from shallow experimental boreholes. The survey will focus upon the identification of the non-permeable layer, the thickness of the aquifers and the fronts between fresh and saline groundwater. 

WP5. Chemical Composition - Water Pollution

Objectives: The purpose of this WP is to study the water quality (defined by its chemical, physical and biological parameters) of all the terrestrial and coastal water bodies of the Pinios delta that include: Pinios freshwater, smaller surface water bodies, groundwater and river mouth waters. The interactions of these water bodies shall be studied in relation to the environmental impact of the various human activities. Thus, the determination of all these parameters (spatially and temporally) will lead to a better understanding of the bio-geo-chemical behavior of the main elements and pollutants, the main pollution sources and the main processes that affect toxicity and bioavailability of anthropogenic pollutants. Subsequently, the environmental degradation of the delta and the resilience of the system to various impacts of climate change conditions will be evaluated. 

WP6. Water Balance of Deltaic Plain

Objectives: The objective of this WP is to identify the parameters that affect water yield of the agricultural coastal plain, i.e. Pinios river delta. Quantitative measurements are required for the sustainable management of the area in relation to agricultural production.

WP7: Appraisals & Proposals on Managing Climate Change Impact

Objectives: The development of suitable management schemes of deltas is of great importance and necessary for increasing the resilience such environments to the impact of climate changes (i.e., air temperature and precipitation, wind climate, sea level rise). This development will be based on the results obtained in the previous WPs and their tasks within. The consequences of the different climate scenarios will be assessed in terms of water balance, desertification and salinization of the deltaic plain; loss of coastal land and its use due to sea level rise. Therefore this WP is tasked with the development of an Integrated Management Tool (IMT), which could improve the management of the complex relationships that exist between natural deltaic environments, climate change and human activities. 

WP8: Results: Exploitation and dissemination

Objectives: The dissemination of the project’s results to the wider scientific community and to communicate them to the wider public and, particularly, to local authorities and stakeholders. This scope is served by the interaction of the research teams involved, their scientific presentation in journals and in books of proceedings and the establishment of an interactive web-page.