Assessment of groundwater vulnerability to nitrates from agricultural sources using a GIS-compatible logic multicriteria model

•We propose a logic multicriteria model for groundwater vulnerability.•Environmental factors were aggregated by Logic Scoring of Preferences (LSP).•The LSP map is a regional screening tool for potential risk of nitrate pollution.•The logic multicriteria model was applied to Aragon (Spain) as a case study.•Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) and validation procedure were applied.

In the present study an overlay method to assess groundwater vulnerability is proposed. This new method based on multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) was developed and validated using an appropriate case study in Aragon area (NE Spain). The Vulnerability Index to Nitrates from Agricultural Sources (VINAS) incorporates a novel Logic Scoring of Preferences (LSP) approach, and it has been developed using public geographic information from the European Union. VINAS-LSP identifies areas with five categories of vulnerability, taking into account the hydrogeological and environmental characteristics of the territory as a whole. The resulting LSP map is a regional screening tool that can provide guidance on the potential risk of nitrate pollution, as well as highlight areas where specific research and farming planning policies are required.