GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN MANAGING OF TERRITORIAL RESOURCES: AN EXAMPLE FOR THE SABATINI GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM (CENTRAL ITALY)

Geographic Information System (GIS) is very important tool in managing the interdisciplinary researches and territorial resources. GIS integrates data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. They can represent a scientific and social benefit. Here we present an application of GIS to a potentially exploitable geothermal area. The geothermal resource can be used either indirectly or directly. In the first case electricity is produced from high enthalpy systems. In second case heating and cooling systems are obtained from medium or low enthalpy systems. Italian geothermal resources employment is still poorly developed in direct use sector, despite the great geothermal potentials suitable for this purpuse. Often this limited application is due mainly to a inadequate territory knowledge and sometimes by difficulties in obtaining required information. In this case the creation of a geo-database can be extremely helpful. The studied area is located in Central Italy, just north of Rome, and comprise the western part of the Sabatini Volcanic District, Tolfa Mountains, extending up to Civitavecchia. Exploration surveys investigated this area during 70’s-90’s for geothermal purpose, but the area still results unexploited. The presence of thermal waters and of anomalous heat flow, together with demographical growing of the last years, make this site a suitable location for direct applications of the geothermal resource. Previews work and new data about geological, structural, hydrogeological, geochemical features have been processed to be recorded in a geo-database . Further, social data about demographical trend and available scientific record concerning the studied area fulfill the database. The majority of available geological information date back to early 90’s; an important part of the work consisted in the digitalization and updating of pre-existent data. The final product is a WEB-GIS that can facilitate diffusion and consultation of geographically referenced data, which can be easily managed by public and private infrastructures, research institutes and universities, allowing a better development of the territorial resources.