Thermal mineral waters

This EU focuses on natural mineral waters and thermal waters, whose specific characteristics make them unique resources in terms of exploitation, management, and protection of their deposits. Students will thus be trained in the specific technical and regulatory/health aspects governing the exploitation of these resources, in particular through presentations by professionals in the sector and a visit to an exploitation site. They will also learn about the management and protection of this type of aquifer so that they can propose study protocols to be implemented in situ to characterize and protect these resources and thus acquire hydrogeological expertise for this type of aquifer.

The objective of this course unit is to provide students with additional, specific knowledge about mineral and thermal waters in order to train them in the management and protection of these resources. Upon completion of this course, they will be able to:

- Recognize and identify the specific characteristics of natural mineral and/or thermal waters (origin, properties, water management and protection),

- Mastering the regulatory and health requirements that must be met in order to exploit and manage these resources,

- Master the concepts and tools needed to explain the origin of flows and their residence time based on geological, hydrodynamic, and hydrogeochemical/isotopic information.

- Propose methodological protocols to be implemented to characterize the hydrogeological functioning of the deposit and the possible impacts in terms of protection and management of the associated resource.

Natural tracing - Natural tracing of flows and vulnerability of aquifers

100% continuous assessment incorporating a multiple-choice questionnaire and a report aimed at proposing a detailed methodological protocol for characterizing the hydrogeological functioning of a thermal system.