OZCAR-RI SNO_KARST Environmental Research Observatory Site of fontaine de Vaucluse - LSBB - France

The Environmental Research Observatory Site of Fontaine de Vaucluse – LSBB is an observation and experimental site located in south-eastern France. Observation and experimentations are performed by UMR EMMAH (AU/INRAE) at two different scales: at catchment scale since 1981 (these observations and experiments are reported within the SNO KARST) and at micro-site scale since 2002 at the Low Noise Underground Laboratory (these measurements are reported within the SNO H+ network). Fontaine de Vaucluse is both outstanding and typical of the mediterranean context. This spring is one of the largest springs in Europe with an average discharge over 20 m3/s. It is the main outlet of a large limestone catchment (~ 1160 km2), that extends mainly over natural land, with thick unsaturated zone (800 m in average).