Groundwater Drought and Water Balance Indicators in Tuscany (2005–2023)

# Groundwater Drought and Water Balance Indicators in Tuscany (2005–2023) **Author:** **Abedulla Elsaidy, [e-mail], Vrije Universiteit Brussel** **Data Sources:** 1. **Groundwater data:** Regione Toscana – Servizio Idrogeologico Regionale (SIR), *Consistenza Rete* [https://www.sir.toscana.it/consistenza-rete](https://www.sir.toscana.it/consistenza-rete) 2. **Water balance indicators:** Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA) – *BIGBANG80* Model [https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it](https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it) --- ## 1. Overview This dataset integrates **groundwater level observations** from the Tuscany regional groundwater monitoring network with **hydro-climatic indicators** derived from the BIGBANG80 water balance model for the period **January 2005 – December 2023**. The dataset was developed to support **groundwater drought analysis**, hydrological trend studies, and the assessment of relationships between climatic conditions and groundwater variability. Each file corresponds to a **single groundwater monitoring well**, named using the groundwater code and well name (e.g., `WellName.csv`). --- ## 2. Spatial and Temporal Coverage - **Region:** Tuscany, Italy - **Coordinate reference system:** WGS84 (EPSG:4326) - **Temporal coverage:** January 2005 – December 2023 - **Temporal resolution:** Monthly --- ## 3. Data Structure Each file contains the following columns: | Column Name | Description | Units / Notes ||--------------|-------------|----------------|| **Codice** | Unique groundwater well code | — || **Provincia** | Province where the well is located | — || **E** | Easting coordinate (local or UTM system) | m || **N** | Northing coordinate (local or UTM system) | m || **Lat** | Latitude | decimal degrees || **Lon** | Longitude | decimal degrees || **Quota [m]** | Ground elevation (well head elevation) | m a.s.l. || **Year** | Year of observation | YYYY || **Month** | Month of observation | 1–12 || **SPEI01**, **SPEI03**, **SPEI06**, **SPEI09**, **SPEI12** | Standardised Precipitation–Evapotranspiration Index (1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-month) | dimensionless || **SPI01**, **SPI03**, **SPI06**, **SPI09**, **SPI12** | Standardised Precipitation Index (1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-month) | dimensionless || **ae** | Actual Evapotranspiration | mm || **gr** | Groundwater Recharge | mm || **if** | INTERNAL FLOW | mm || **pr** | Potential Evapotranspiration | mm || **rf** | Surface Runoff | mm || **td** | Mean Temperature | °C || **tp** | Total Precipitation | mm || **ws** | Soil Water Content at 1 m depth | mm || **Livello [m]** | Observed mean monthly groundwater level | m || **Monthly_Threshold** | Groundwater drought threshold (20th percentile, Q20) | m || **Drought** | Groundwater drought indicator (0 = no drought, 1 = drought, -999 = no data) | categorical | --- ## 4. Data Processing and Integration - Groundwater level data were downloaded from the **SIR Toscana** monitoring network. - Hydro-climatic indicators (SPI, SPEI, AE, RF, WS, etc.) were derived from the **ISPRA BIGBANG80** model. - Time series were harmonized to **monthly resolution**. - The **groundwater drought threshold** was calculated as the 20th percentile (Q20) of groundwater levels for each well. - The **drought indicator** (`Drought`) equals 1 when the groundwater level is below the threshold, 0 otherwise. - Missing or unavailable groundwater data are coded as **-999**. --- ## 5. Data Quality and Limitations - Measurement and model uncertainties are inherited from the original SIR and ISPRA datasets. - Occasional gaps may occur in groundwater level time series. Some wells have the same Coordinates or very close In this table the closest wells Codice1 Codice2 Distance_mTOS19000620 TOS19000672 0TOS19000627 TOS19000673 0TOS19000674 TOS19000650 0TOS20000003 TOS20000004 163.07TOS19000610 TOS19000698 342.2TOS19000607 TOS29000695 1074.61TOS29000042 TOS29000059 1078.58TOS19000644 TOS19000630 1264.59TOS29000042 TOS29000058 1476.27 --- ## 6. File Naming Convention Each file name follows this pattern: Montecarlo.csv --- ## 7. Licensing and Citation - **License:** Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) - **Citation:** > Elsaidy, A. (2025). *Groundwater Drought and Water Balance Indicators in Tuscany (2005–2023)*. > Data sources: SIR Toscana & ISPRA BIGBANG80. > [https://www.sir.toscana.it/consistenza-rete](https://www.sir.toscana.it/consistenza-rete), > [https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it](https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it) --- ## 8. Potential Applications - Groundwater drought monitoring and assessment - Hydro-climatic and temporal trend analysis - Groundwater–climate interaction studies - Hydrological model calibration and validation - Water resources management and policy support --- ## 9. Contact For questions or collaboration inquiries, please contact: **Abedulla Elsaidy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel** Email: *[[e-mail]]*