A multidisciplinary study, involving geophysical, geological, hydrogeological and hydrochemical data, was developed to the geoenvironmental characterization of the Bom Jardim cemetery in Fortaleza, Ceará State - Brazil. The characterization of the subsurface environment has been carried out based on several vertical electric sounding, GPR and EM-34 sections, compositional, granulometric and hydraulic conductivity analyses of soil samples collected in boreholes. The hydro-geological evaluation of the cemetery site was based on the subsurface geophysical signature, topographical data, hydrogeological parameters and physical-chemical analyses of the groundwater, obtained in monitoring wells. The local groundwater quality was evaluated through physical-chemical and microbiological analyses to investigate the groundwater contamination by the leachate from the corpse decomposition. Periodic samplings allowed evaluating the seasonal influences in the hydrogeological parameters of the aquifer along a complete water cycle. This study also attempted to identify the possible geophysical signatures of contamination plumes into the cemetery site. However, high concentration of dissolved elements and organic compounds are present in the unconfined aquifer of the whole studied area, originate from residential septic tanks. This pollution source probably masks possible contrasts of electric or electromagnetic properties between the supposed contamination plume into the necropolis and the surrounding vicinity.
geophysical characterization; hydrogeology; cemetery
