The Groundwater and Hydrogeochemistry group studies the hydraulic, chemical, thermal and mechanical processes that take place in porous media from pore to regional scale. The group employs mathematical and numerical approaches as well as laboratory and field scale experiments and sampling methods (using hydraulic, hydro-geochemical and environmental isotope data sampled directly or through specifically designed tests).
The group is active in the development of numerical and mathematical models and modelling techniques for complex porous media processes across spatial and temporal scales, laboratory and field scale experimentation and sampling and data analysis. This includes geospatial data and information management.
Applications include the assessment and management of groundwater resources, groundwater and soil remediation, the management of urban aquifers, the study of emerging pollutants in urban aquifers and artificial recharge facilities, the study of wetlands, seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers, water management in mining operations, civil works, storage of waste and/or its recovery, water decontamination methodologies, the study of the unsaturated zone, the study of the hydro-thermo-mechanical and chemical processes associated with the injection and extraction of fluids at great depth (storage of CO2, storage of nuclear waste, geothermal energy, shale gas, induced seismicity).
- Artificial recharge
- Emerging contaminants in groundwater
- Environmental Geochemistry
- Geochemical modeling
- Geologic carbon storage
- Geomechanics
- Geothermics
- Groundwater modeling and inverse problem
- Hydrogeochemistry
- Hydrogeology in mining areas and civil works
- Induced seismicity
- Low temperature geochemistry
- Multiphase flow in porous media
- Heterogeneity
- Flow and reactive transport in porous media
- Mixing and dispersion in porous media
- Reactive mixing in porous media
- Stochastic modeling and upscaling of porous media processes
- Tools and software development
- Urban hydrogeology
An integrated and circular approach for private financing of the urban green transition, through nature carbon dioxide removal credits from innovative applications of biochars
101294583
The EU has set ambitious targets in the European Green Deal to transform Europe into a climate-neutral, resilient and sustainable economy. Municipalities and local governments are essential actors in the green transition. However, municipalities and other local authorities are struggling to implement this legislative framework, mainly due to lack of financial resources.
Voluntary carbon market offers one of the paths for municipalities to generate financial resources. The EU has introduced the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Framework (CRCF, EU/2024/3012), creating the first EU-wide voluntary framework for certifying carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products. Within the voluntary carbon credit market, different types of credits exist, one of which is Nature-based CDR Credits. These credits offer verifiable carbon removal along with significant co-benefits for biodiversity, water systems, and community resilience.
Amsterdam municipality together with other partners formulated LIFE NATURECDR project, which offers a novel, circular and integrated strategy to finance and accelerate the urban green transition at municipal level. The main concept of the LIFE NATURECDR approach is that local authorities can use urban landscaping waste for the local production of biochar, which serves a dual purpose as carbon sink (= CDR credit part) and as solution for urban climate, nature and energy challenges, e.g., reducing pollution, increasing water retention and improving soil health (= Nature credit part). The resulting Nature CDR credits are then sold to private parties, many of which are urgently looking for high-integrity credits to enter the voluntary carbon credit market. Income from credit sales is then used for green transition projects, which includes urban nature investments to ensure continuous feedstock for biochar production.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of LIFE NATURECDR project is to demonstrate that biochar-based Nature CDR credits are an effective and circular strategy to finance and accelerate the green transition in urban spaces. Biochars from landscaping residues can resolve urgent urban nature, climate, and energy challenges, whilst simultaneously providing a solid foundation for the private financing of the transition. To do so, Amsterdam will develop a transparent, high-integrity and trustworthy financial model in which the CO2 removal by biochar and the generated nature-positive benefits will be carefully registered and valued in a scientific manner. Amsterdam will use the credit revenues to accelerate the green transition (nature, climate, energy).
The more specific project objectives are:
- To install and operate a small-scale industrial pyrolysis unit (300 t/a production capacity) and produce and field test high-quality designer biochars for a variety of urban applications
- To develop biochar LCAs and product passports to validate CDR Nature Credits and to determine which application(s) create(s) the highest value
- To maximize citizen science participation in field test monitoring and data collection
- To generate novel insights into the impact trade-offs when allocating landscaping residues
- To develop a transparent and trustworthy private financing model for investments in the green transition via Nature CDR credit sales
- To identify and engage with potential private buyers of Nature CDR credits
- To showcase project replicability through replication activities in Barcelona (Spain) and Berlin Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (Germany)
- To develop a toolkit of project deliverables to facilitate adoption across EU local authorities
- To actively investigate useful applications of by-products from biochar production
- To achieve these objectives and to facilitate further replication, the project will actively involve EU municipalities and other stakeholders through targeted communication and dissemination activities.
Start Date: 01/08/2026 – End Date: 31/07/2031
Soluciones resilientes de próxima generación para el nexo urbano agua-energía
CNS2025-166354
Para abordar el crecimiento poblacional, la expansión urbana y los impactos del cambio climático, muchas ciudades mediterráneas con estrés hídrico están implementando tecnologías sostenibles para mejorar la cantidad y calidad del agua subterránea, fortaleciendo los recursos hídricos locales. En este sentido, las infraestructuras azul-verdes (también conocidas como sistemas de drenaje urbano sostenible; SuDS) pueden proporcionar: captura de aguas pluviales, tratamiento mediante soluciones basadas en la naturaleza y recarga de acuíferos. Desafortunadamente, las aguas pluviales urbanas se consideran un importante vector de transporte de contaminantes, como los llamados contaminantes emergentes, especialmente los nuevos compuestos orgánicos persistentes, móviles y tóxicos (PMTs). Paralelamente, las ciudades requieren un suministro energético ininterrumpido, lo que ha llevado a algunas a adoptar la energía geotérmica superficial (fuente sostenible). La energía geotérmica de baja entalpía (LEGE) utiliza la temperatura del agua subterránea para climatizar edificios y también podría ayudar a mitigar la contaminación de los acuíferos (p.ej., PMTs). No obstante, los riesgos potenciales, las limitaciones y los modos operativos óptimos asociados a los esquemas SuDS y LEGE, todavía no se conocen.
Por lo tanto, el principal objetivo del proyecto RENEW es doble: 1) identificar nuevos contaminantes (PMTs), sus fuentes, distribución y destino en el entorno urbano; y 2) evaluar y optimizar su tratamiento en sistemas SuDS y LEGE a escala piloto en un banco de pruebas de columnas.
Para ello, el proyecto consta de seis paquetes de trabajo a lo largo de un periodo de 24 meses y cubrirá los siguientes objetivos específicos:
I) Realizar un cribado de contaminantes orgánicos emergentes (PMTs) en el ciclo urbano del agua, muestreando el continuo aire-escorrentía-SuDS-LEGE-acuífero (WP2) permitiendo seleccionar los compuestos de los experimentos posteriores en columnas;
II) Probar y validar dispositivos novedosos de muestreo de aguas pluviales y escorrentía en campo (depositómetro y sistemas de autocierre) para alcanzar TRL 7 o superior (WP2);
III) Construir un tren de tratamiento en un remolque cerrado que simule sistemas SuDS y LEGE (banco de pruebas de columnas) (WP3);
IV) Obtener una comprensión integral de los beneficios y limitaciones de los esquemas convencionales de tratamiento SuDS/LEGE, con el objetivo de mejorar nuestro conocimiento sobre los mecanismos de eliminación y el control de estos sistemas mediante experimentos de columnas en condiciones realistas, controladas y escalables, con un enfoque en los desafíos del cambio climático y eventos extremos (WP4);
V) Desarrollar un conjunto de recomendaciones para optimizar el rendimiento de la atenuación de contaminantes de los sistemas SuDS y LEGE (WP5).
Ayuda CNS2025-166354 financiada por MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033
Start Date: 01/04/2026 – End Date: 31/03/2028
Sistemas Urbanos de Drenaje Sostenible de Nueva Generación para Maximizar el Rendimiento Bajo Eventos Extremos
PID2025-176518OB-I00
Proyecto PID2025-176518OB-I00 financiado por MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 y por FEDER, UE
Start Date: 01/10/2026 – End Date: 30/09/2029
Capacitación pública en evaluación y gestión de riesgos naturales
INTER25006
Plan de Transferencia, Intercambio y Gestión de Conocimiento para el Desarrollo de la Cooperación Española en América Latina y el Caribe INTERCOONECTA
Start Date: 01/05/2026 – End Date: 31/07/2027
PELIGROSIDAD NATURAL (PELIGRO)
202630E160
PROYECTOS INTRAMURALES CSIC(2025)
Start Date: 01/06/2026 – End Date: 31/01/2027
Restoration of the ZEC Montseny River habitat to conserve the endemic newt Calotriton arnoldi
101294195
The Montseny brook newt, Calotriton arnoldi , includes two subspecies (C. arnoldi arnoldi and C. arnoldi laietanus), which became geographically separated approximately 125,000 years ago. This species is endemic to the ZEC Montseny (Montseny Special Area of Conservation - Montseny SAC), code: ES 5110001), and is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ by IUCN, making it one of the most threatened amphibians in Western Europe. The population is extremely small, with less than 3,500 individuals, and its natural distribution is limited to eight isolated mountain streams, spanning about 18 km. Most of these populations are located in private properties. The Montseny brook newt is highly restricted to areas located in mountain streams and it depends highly on pristine river habitats. Streams in the Montseny mountains are currently threaten by climate change and human activities such as logging and water extraction.
The primary aim of this project is to restore the riparian habitats of mountain streams in the Natura 2000 site ZEC Montseny (ES5110001) and to prevent the extinction of the Montseny brook newt. All the planned actions are line with the main objectives of the C.arnoldi Recovery Plan, which was developed in the previous project LIFE Trito Montseny and endorsed by the competent authority.
Co-funded by the European Union.
Start Date: 01/09/2026 – End Date: 31/08/2033
VOLCANIC DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT FOR THE CANARY ISLANDS (SPAIN)
101193100
The Canary Islands is one of the most active volcanic regions in the World. This has been well evidenced by the past eruptions of El Hierro in 2011-2012 and La Palma in 2021, which remind us that volcanism is a major threat for the economic and social stability of this peripheral Spanish region and that development of strategic disaster risk management actions is mandatory to reduce risk in the whole area.
The aim of this project is to provide technical assistance to the corresponding disaster risk management authorities to undertake the revision of the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Volcanic Risk Emergency in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands (PEVOLCA). To accomplish such a complex goal, the applicant (CSIC), in collaboration with the Canarian Government and its main disaster risk management bodies (Civil Protection, First Responders, local governments and municipalities) will provide the basis to undertake a full revision of the existing PEVOLCA, initially approved in 2010 and revised in 2018, adapting it to the real needs of the area, after the experience gained during the management of the La Palma eruption. This will contribute to improve the preparation, reaction and resilience of Canarian society and authorities in front of future eruptions. Taking advantage of previous EC ECHO funded projects (VeTOOLS and EVE) coordinated by the CSIC and aimed at developing a systematic methodology and e-tools to conduct long and short term volcanic hazard assessment and a volcano early warning system, the CSIC will contribute to develop a new volcanic disaster risk management plan for the Canary Islands, from a multi-risk perspective, including an prevention and preparedness based on precise long-term volcanic hazards assessment and volcano monitorig, and developing new risk reduction policies, public awareness raising and training programs for disaster risk management.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or DG ECHO. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Start Date: 01/01/2025 – End Date: 31/12/2026
https://ec-volcan.csic.es/
REDUCING PLASTICULTURE IMPACTS ON WATER RESOURCES AND ENHANCING RESILIENCE IN MEDITERRANEAN AGRICULTURE (MED-AGRIPLAST)
PCI2026-177439-1
This work has been supported by the MED-AGRIPLAST project (PRIMA/SECTION 2 2025 - MULTI-TOPIC). The project is funded by the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA), co-funded by the European Union, and by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades / Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) through grant number PCI2026-177439-1.
Start Date: 01/06/2026 – End Date: 31/05/2029
DISTINTIVO MENTO EN EL IDAEA- MENTORES ERC-COG-2025 – Tomás Aquino
MENTO25018
Start Date: 01/01/2025 – End Date: 31/12/2026
DISTINTIVO MENTO EN EL IDAEA- MENTORES ERC-COG-2025 – Marco Dentz
MENTO25017
MENTO2025
Start Date: 01/01/2025 – End Date: 31/12/2026
Staff
Permanent Researchers
PhD Students
Postdoc Researchers
Technical
