SCALDI: An enhanced multi-criteria framework for groundwater vulnerability assessment in fractured ultramafic aquifers – application to the ophiolite nappe of Mantoudi (Central Euboea, Greece)

SCALDI: An enhanced multi-criteria framework for groundwater vulnerability assessment in fractured ultramafic aquifers – application to the ophiolite nappe of Mantoudi (Central Euboea, Greece) | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Method Article SCALDI: An enhanced multi-criteria framework for groundwater vulnerability assessment in fractured ultramafic aquifers – application to the ophiolite nappe of Mantoudi (Central Euboea, Greece) Gerasimos Yoxas, Georgios Stournaras This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9178001/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The sustainable development of hard rock aquifers is based on the consideration of fractured rocks as a natural resource and as a social and economic wealth, the use of which is linked to its quality. Therefore, these bodies of water should be used and protected with priority given to the self-regulation of ecosystems, in line with the Rio Agenda (1992). It is obvious that the criteria used in the assessment of vulnerability in the case of karstic or continuous (porous) medium cannot be applied to discontinuity medium systems. The assessment of intrinsic groundwater vulnerability in fractured hard-rock aquifers remains a methodological challenge due to structural heterogeneity and complex recharge mechanisms. Widely applied index-based methods (e.g. DRASTIC and related approaches) often seem not to adequately represent these complexities. This study presents SCALDI , an enhanced multi-criteria intrinsic vulnerability assessment framework specifically developed for fractured aquifers in Greece. The framework is applied to the ophiolite nappe of Mantoudi (Central Euboea, Greece), characterized by fractured ultramafic formations and structurally controlled groundwater flow. SCALDI integrates five key parameters: slope (S), soil cover (C), aquifer permeability and hydraulic behaviour (A), land use (L), and intersection degree of discontinuities (DI). Unlike conventional vulnerability indices that focus on isolated risk elements, SCALDI conceptualizes vulnerability as an emergent property of a complex territorial hydrogeological system, where geological, geomorphological, and anthropogenic factors interact dynamically. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates the dominant influence of structural parameters on vulnerability distribution. The proposed framework provides an adaptable tool for groundwater protection zoning in hard-rock terrains. SCALDI method intrinsic groundwater vulnerability fractured ultramafic aquifers multi-criteria analysis GIS-based vulnerability mapping Mantoudi basin Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers invited by journal 30 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 23 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 23 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 20 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9178001","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Method Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":614939309,"identity":"52059ffe-32f8-4b01-8832-29897fc153b1","order_by":0,"name":"Gerasimos Yoxas","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYNCCCiidQLyWMyRrYWwj3nQGBoPjPYYff86zk91w/PjDDw8q7sjzM7Bf+4BXy5ljydK825KNN5zJMZZIOPPMcGYDT/EMvFpuJB+QZtzGnLjhQA4bQ2Lb4QSDAzzJ+B12I7H558859Ykbzj9/xpD473CCPWEtycckeBsOJ264kWDGkNgAtIWB/TBeLZJnjqVZ8xw7bjzzxhugX44dNpxxmIcZrxa+4z3GN3/UVMv2nU9/+PFHzWF5/vb2x3i1KByA0IwNcCFmHgO8WuQbMLQwsD/Aq2UUjIJRMApGHAAAy8dSSGx/XH8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"University of Western Macedonia","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Gerasimos","middleName":"","lastName":"Yoxas","suffix":""},{"id":614939317,"identity":"32699702-6264-4922-979b-746803223c28","order_by":1,"name":"Georgios Stournaras","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National and Kapodistrian University of Athens","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Georgios","middleName":"","lastName":"Stournaras","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-20 10:40:40","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9178001/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9178001/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":105904685,"identity":"d3f2b87f-3c2b-40a1-ae55-c7656190712b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-01 10:10:15","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":814060,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"YoxasG.StournarasG.2026.SCALDI.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9178001/v1_covered_8bb84405-d7fb-47ca-afd8-9ebdf2aa64f7.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"SCALDI: An enhanced multi-criteria framework for groundwater vulnerability assessment in fractured ultramafic aquifers – application to the ophiolite nappe of Mantoudi (Central Euboea, Greece)","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-earth-sciences","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"enge","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Earth Sciences](https://www.springer.com/journal/12665)","snPcode":"12665","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/12665/3","title":"Environmental Earth Sciences","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"SCALDI method, intrinsic groundwater vulnerability, fractured ultramafic aquifers, multi-criteria analysis, GIS-based vulnerability mapping, Mantoudi basin","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9178001/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9178001/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe sustainable development of hard rock aquifers is based on the consideration of fractured rocks as a natural resource and as a social and economic wealth, the use of which is linked to its quality. Therefore, these bodies of water should be used and protected with priority given to the self-regulation of ecosystems, in line with the Rio Agenda (1992).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is obvious that the criteria used in the assessment of vulnerability in the case of karstic or continuous (porous) medium cannot be applied to discontinuity medium systems. The assessment of intrinsic groundwater vulnerability in fractured hard-rock aquifers remains a methodological challenge due to structural heterogeneity and complex recharge mechanisms. Widely applied index-based methods (e.g. DRASTIC and related approaches) often seem not to adequately represent these complexities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study presents \u003cb\u003eSCALDI\u003c/b\u003e, an enhanced multi-criteria intrinsic vulnerability assessment framework specifically developed for fractured aquifers in Greece. 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