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Lomites, carried 
iydrogeology and 
Earth Sciences/ 
Amsterdam Free University, the Netherlands (Engelen, 
1974; Seyhan et al., 1985). 
The broad physiographic zone of the Permo-Triassic- 
Liassic rocks of the Central-Dolomites has been 
selected as the research area. In the summer of 1985 
and the spring and summer of 1986 a detailed mapping 
and discharge measuring program has been executed in 
the Upper-Boite reference area (Figure 4). The con 
trol areas are also indicated in Figure 4. 
0 50 km 
Legend : 
Gneisses and schists of the Central 
Alps 
Quartz-phyHite basement of the Do 
lomites 
Quartz-phorphyries of the Bolzano 
region 
Permo-Triassic-Liassic rocks of the 
Dolomites 
Figure 4. Broad physiographic zones. 
3.1 Reconnaissance stage - Broad physiographic zone 
The heterogeneous character of the Permo-Triassic- 
Liassic rocks of the Dolomites can be explained by 
three main factors (Engelen, 1963; 1974) : 
1. Lithology : A wide range of rock types are 
present in this region. Apart from shales, gypsum, 
sandstones and limestones, huge dolomitic reef 
masses are found, which interfinger with a complex 
of marls volcanic ashes and lavas. Due to a differ 
ential erosion, the dolomite rock presently stands 
out 1000 ä 1500 m above the tuffaceous marl formati 
ons . 
2. Structural geology : The dolomite (and lime 
stone) formations are strongly influenced by gravity- 
tectonics, which resulted in a large number of faults 
(Engelen, 1963). The marine-volcanic formations bet 
ween the reef dolomites and the underlying plastic 
shales and gypsiferous marls are squeezed upward dia- 
pirically by the subsiding dolomite reef masses. 
This resulted in an intricate outcrop pattern of 
rock types. 
3. Quaternary morphology : Glacial erosion fea 
tures, glacial and fluvioglacial deposits, Holocene 
talus cones of coarse dolomite rubble and recent 
mass-movements in the weathered marly and tuffaceous 
rocks gave this physiographic zone its final shape. 
Most geological and morphological phenomena can be 
identified with Landsat imagery. 
The mean annual precipitation at a mean height of 
1600 m is approximately 1000 mm, with a maximum in 
the three summer months of 410 mm (Fliri, 1975). The 
Penman potential evaporation at 1600 m is estimated 
to be 620 mm/year and 290 mm in the summer months 
(based on climatological data of Fliri, 1975). 
3.2 Mapping, field surveys and modelling in the 
Upper-Boite reference area 
In the summer of 1985 the Upper-Boite catchment (210 
km 2 ) was selected as a reference area. The dis 
charges of about 20 subcatchments have been measured 
in the surroundings of the main town in this area, 
Cortina d'Ampezzo. The reaction of the hydrological 
units to snowmelt was observed during the spring of 
1986. 
A comprehensive description of all kinds of hydrol 
ogical land units and flow systems is beyond the 
scope of this paper. However, to illustrate the map 
ping procedure two complexes of interrelated flow 
systems, with distinctive hydrological characteris 
tics are selected (Figure 5 and 6) : 
1) The fractured dolomite rock in combination with 
the coarse dolomite rubbel. 
2) The deeply weathered and locally slumped marly 
tuffs. 
200 • 
too- 
1(0. 
140. 
120' 
100. 
во. 
1*2 40 
4 
U 20 
Legend: 
HOF - Horton overland 
f lou 
S0F - Saturation overland 
flow 
SSF - Subsurface storm 
flow 
GF - Groundwater flow 
- Shallow episodic 
- Shallow permanent 
- Oeep permanent 
GF (DP) 
Narly tuff 
j 
Al VERA 
\ HOF 
(0.5 km2) 
JL" SO F 
GF (SP) 
. J 
J 
4*5 в 
1 J ■ в » 10 ' 11 12 13 14 
AIJC ¡985 
Figure 5. Specific discharges of tuo 
main complexes of hydrological flow sys 
tems with an indication of the types of 
flou systems. 
The hydrological groundwater flow systems which can 
be distinguished with the field observation-based 
systems analysis are sketched in Figure 6. A provi 
sional separation of the hydrographs is also made on 
basis of these field observations (Figure 5). 
The higher parts of the dolomite rock recharge area 
(of the deep permanent gromdwater flow system) are 
completely bare, while the lower parts are generally 
covered with dense pine forests on thick soils of 
(semi)impermeable moraine material. In a transition 
zone one finds open pine forests and shrubs on thin 
soils. The dolomite rubble, with a shallow, episodic 
flow system on top of the permanent flow system in