Coastal-zone shallow-aquifer characterization study using geoelectrical and geochemical methods in Zirconium Complex,Atomic Energy,Pazhayakayal, Thoothukudi,India

Groundwater is a very important component of water resources in coastal aquifers in Thoothukudi. It has been established that the groundwaters in the coastal zone of the Zirconium Complex, Pazhayakayal, Thoothukudi district, Tamilnadu, India, are subjected to wave and tidal impact. The groundwater quality was studied by hydrogeological methods, 2D electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) techniques (six profiles), 11 Wenner vertical electrical sounding (VES), and well log analysis. Also, nine geochemical water samples were taken from the study area. The 2D ERI and VES surveys were carried out using WGMD-4 Ltd., Chennai, resistivity meter, multicore cable, and multielectrodes with Wenner array. The collected resistivity data were interpreted using the Res2DINV software. The research shows that the groundwaters are the result of the paleoriver flow along the Tamirabarani Channel in the western area and of the seawater intrusion in the eastern area. The fresh water is characterized by resistivity of about 10–100 Ohm?m in the study area. The resistivity of 10–50 Ohm?m indicates that the subsurface section is made up of sand, clay, and caliche. Resistivity values of more than 200 Ohm?m are specific to sand dunes. The very low resistivity (<5 Ohm?m) layer might be due to the seawater intrusion in the study area. Six water samples from the well drilled in the coastal area were analyzed, which made it possible to determine the concentrations of major and trace elements in the groundwaters. These data were used to establish the seawater intrusion and coastal environment characteristics in the study area.     

Hydrogeologic-structure and groundwater-movement imaging in tideland using electrical sounding resistivity: a case study on the Ariake Sea coast, southwest Japan

Groundwater flow exerts a crucial control on the boundary between the sea and freshwater and is thus a key factor for preserving groundwater resources and preventing seawater intrusion in coastal areas. Although it is highly probable that geological faults in coastal areas affect groundwater flow patterns, the effect has not been described yet in detail. This study is aimed at detecting and imaging groundwater flow and its temporal change around a fault in a coastal area through resistivity and chargeability distributions using electrical sounding. The Okoshiki area in central Kyushu, southwest Japan, was selected as a case study area, because of the presence of Kamiouda Fault. The measurements were conducted along six lines of both parallel and perpendicular orientations to the coastline. A feature suggesting a fault zone was evident on two lines. Through the temporal change of resistivity, movement and mixing processes of the seawater and freshwater during the ebb, low and flood tides were interpreted. A conceptual model of the processes was constructed in which a fault zone and the configuration of bedrock are dominant elements by acting as a selective path and a barrier to the groundwater flow, respectively.     

Geophysical characterization of the complex dynamics of groundwater and seawater exchange in a highly stressed aquifer system linked to a coastal lagoon (SE Spain)

Anthropogenic pressure influences the two-way interactions between shallow aquifers and coastal lagoons. Aquifer overexploitation may lead to seawater intrusion, and aquifer recharge from rainfall plus irrigation may, in turn, increase the groundwater discharge into the lagoon. We analyse the evolution, since the 1950s up to the present, of the interactions between the Campo de Cartagena Quaternary aquifer and the Mar Menor coastal lagoon (SE Spain). This is a very heterogeneous and anisotropic detrital aquifer, where aquifer–lagoon interface has a very irregular geometry. Using electrical resistivity tomography, we clearly identified the freshwater–saltwater transition zone and detected areas affected by seawater intrusion. Severity of the intrusion was spatially variable and significantly related to the density of irrigation wells in 1950s–1960s, suggesting the role of groundwater overexploitation. We distinguish two different mechanisms by which water from the sea invades the land: (a) horizontal advance of the interface due to a wide exploitation area and (b) vertical rise (upconing) caused by local intensive pumping. In general, shallow parts of the geophysical profiles show higher electrical resistivity associated with freshwater mainly coming from irrigation return flows, with water resources mostly from deep confined aquifers and imported from Tagus river, 400 km north. This indicates a likely reversal of the former seawater intrusion process.     

Mapping of the hyporheic zone around a tidal creek using a combination of borehole logging,borehole electrical tomography and cross-creek electrical imaging,New South Wales,Australia

A combination of electrical imaging carried out across a tidal creek and borehole electrical tomography between strings of electrodes installed in bores adjacent to the creek is used to establish the shape of the hyporheic zone beneath a tidal creek in a sand aquifer. The interpretations provided by the data inversions are checked against fluid electrical conductivity (EC) samples collected from bundled piezometers installed in the creek banks and from bulk EC measurements made using induction logs in bores on the creek banks. Extensive seepage into the base of the creek is identified from the electrical image and verified by independent measurements of hydraulic head and fluid EC. The Effective Medium Theory is used to derive values of fluid EC from bulk resistivity measurements obtained from the inversion process. The data show an extensive zone of mixing between seawater and rainwater recharge into the aquifer, with the shape of the hyporheic zone strongly influenced by regional groundwater discharge and the presence of a thin layer of cemented sands at a depth of 10 m. The combined interpretation demonstrates the importance of borehole control in the interpretation of electrical images measured from the surface over complex EC distributions. Electronic Publication     

Distribution of iron in the surface and groundwaters of East Godavari district,Andhra Pradesh,India

With the progradation of Godavari delta in the east coast of India, increase in iron (Fe) concentrations in the groundwater was observed. High concentrations of Fe (>10 mg/l) were observed in khondalite and charnockite formations. A lower portion of the Godavari river basin, viz. East Godavari district was chosen for the study of the distribution of iron with special reference to the existing geological formations and the geomorphology of the area. The concentration of iron was observed to vary from below detection limit to 69 mg/l in the groundwater while it was less than 1 mg Fe/l in river and spring waters. The Fe of river water was reduced due to seawater mixing and the electrical conductivity (EC) was increased approximately to half of the seawater conductivity. Unlike the mixing of seawater at the surface, the same seawater mixing with groundwater yielded a water having similar order of EC with relatively high Fe. Fe was inversely related with nitrate in the groundwater. Fe was found to correlate considerably better with manganese in fluvial and coastal alluvium zones. The locations having higher Fe in delta are suspected to be related to palaeo channels. The association between Fe and Mn and their negative association with NO₃ may be due to the possible autotrophic denitrification that might have taken place in the subsurface.     

A regional study of saltwater intrusion in southeastern Nigeria based on the analysis of geoelectrical and hydrochemical data.

Vertical electrical sounding (VES) and hydrochemical data have been used to examine the extent of saltwater intrusion into shallow aquifers (depth<300 m) beneath the coastal plains of southeastern Nigeria underlain by siliciclastic sedimentary rocks of the Cenozoic Niger Delta. The VES data indicate that the coastal regions not affected by saltwater are characterised by K-and H-type geoelectrical curves and models in which high-layer resistivities (in excess of about 100 ohm-m) reflect the presence of freshwater aquifers at depths greater than 5 m below the surface. By contrast, Q-type curves and models denote saltwater-infiltrated islands with the upper boundary of the saline zone at depths of about 25 to 30 m. Chemical analysis results of precipitation and ground water show that, compared to coastal and continental sites, island localities have higher concentrations of major ions (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^-, HCO₃^-, SO₄^2-, NO₃) due to saltwater intrusion. In addition, these ions, which also characterise seawater, show very good correlations (>0.70). Furthermore, the coastal sites are marked by Ca-Cl and Ca-HCO₃ water types whereas Na-Cl dominated both the islands ( at depths greater than 20 m) and the seawater. This gives an indication of seawater contamination. Seawater contamination is also indicated by the results of five assessment parameters as follows: high chloride concentration (>500 mg/l), high saturation index (halite>10^-6), high ionic strength (>0.05), low formation resistivity (<25 ohm-m), and low formation factor (<0.05). Two of these parameters (chloride concentration, ionic strength) have been used to compose an assessment scheme with five major classes (AA, BB, CC, DD, EE) corresponding to various degrees of salinity. Generally in the study area, saltwater contamination is a feature of island locations at depths greater than about 20 m. Water within the inland coastal regions is fresh.     

Delineation of shallow resistivity structure around Malvan, Konkan region, Maharashtra by neural network inversion using vertical electrical sounding measurements

Modeling resistivity profiles, especially from hard rock areas, is of specific relevance for groundwater exploration. A method based on Bayesian neural network (BNN) theory using a Hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) simulation scheme is applied to model and interpret direct current vertical electrical sounding measurements from 28 locations around the Malvan region, in the Sindhudurg district, southwest India. The modeling procedure revolves around optimizing the objective function using the HMC based sampling technique which is followed by updating each trajectory by integrating the Hamiltonian differential equations via a second order leapfrog discretization scheme. The inversion results suggest a high resistivity structure in the north-western part of the area, which correlates well with the presence of laterites. In the south-western part, a very high conductive zone is observed near the coast indicating an extensive influence of saltwater intrusion. Our results also show that the effect of intrusion of saline water diminishes from the south-western part to the north-eastern part of the region. Two dimensional modeling of four resistivity profiles shows that the groundwater flow is partly controlled by existing lineaments, fractures, and major joints. Groundwater occurs at a weathered/semi-weathered layer of laterite/clayey sand and the interface of overburden and crystalline basement. The presence of conduits is identified at a depth between 10 and 15 m along the Dhamapur–Kudal and Parule–Oros profiles, which seems to be potential zone for groundwater exploration. The NW–SE trending major lineaments and its criss-cross sections are indentified from the apparent and true resistivity surface map. The pseudo-section at different depths in the western part of the area, near Parule, shows extensive influence of saltwater intrusion and its impact reaching up to a depth of 50 m from the surface along the coastal area. Further, the deduced true electrical resistivity section against depth correlates well with available borehole lithology in the area. Present analyses suggest that HMC-based BNN method is robust for modeling resistivity data especially in hard rock terrains. These results are useful for interpreting fractures, major joints, and lineaments and crystalline basement rock and also for constraining the higher dimensional models.     

An integrated study on the characterization of freshwater lens in a coastal aquifer of Southern India

The hydrogeochemical characterization of groundwater helps to assess the trend of salinization and freshening of the groundwater. The present study was carried out to understand the lateral and vertical variation of groundwater salinity and the process of salinization and freshening of the groundwater in a coastal aquifer comprising a freshwater lens. The partially isolated unconfined aquifer selected for the present study is lying just south of the Chennai City, one of the densely populated cities on the east coast of South India. Critical problems affecting this aquifer include a thin aquifer which is connected/surrounded by saltwater on all the sides, overexploitation of the groundwater, surface impermeabilization due to increasing residential areas, and destruction of existing dune morphology by conversion of barren land to the residential area which causes a reduction in their barrier effect to seawater intrusion. The process of salinization and freshening of the groundwater was studied and monitored by using electrical resistivity survey and hydrogeochemical analysis. The vertical electrical sounding was carried out at 17 locations, and 400 water samples were collected and analyzed from 50 locations during the period from August 2008 to May 2010 for this study. The apparent resistivity values were analyzed and compared with groundwater quality to demarcate the zone of seawater intrusion. The regional flow direction of the groundwater is westward and eastward with respect to the central stretch and groundwater level ranges from 4.96 m MSL at the dune morphology to 0 m MSL along the boundary on all the sides. Base exchange index indicates that salinization trend in the northern part of the study area is due to the extensive groundwater pumping which increases the possibility of seawater intrusion. The increase of base exchange index towards southern part indicates a better groundwater quality of the aquifer due to proper land use practices. A strong trend of quality alteration is clearly visible from the base exchange index in response to the seasonal change between monsoon and dry season. In the western side, the monsoonal variation in the salinization and freshening of the groundwater was not noticed; however, the salinity is slightly higher than freshwater due to the presence of clay.     

Geophysical response of slackwater and sandy terrace deposits near Savanna, Northwestern Illinois

Low-permeability clayey and silty river terrace deposits are an important component in protecting underlying aquifers from contamination by agrochemicals and other contaminants. Such deposits also record deglaciation dynamics, meltwater drainage and local climatic variations. In this study, conducted over Mississippi River terraces near Savanna, Illinois, clayey slackwater terrace deposits and sandy terrace deposits are examined using resistivity soundings, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles and direct-push conductivity logs. The clayey terrace deposits are characterized by low resistivity (10–35 ohm-m) and slow GPR wave velocity (0.07 m/ns), whereas non-clayey terrace deposits exhibit much higher resistivity (169–1,762 ohm-m) and faster GPR wave velocities (0.15 m/ns). Sandy and clayey terrace deposits may thus be differentiated and mapped on the basis of their geophysical response. Models based on resistivity soundings provide reasonably accurate estimates of the thickness of clayey slackwater deposits, but fail to reveal thin sands embedded in the clayey deposits. In some cases, the full thickness of the slackwater deposits was also not revealed. GPR profiles, however, imaged these embedded shallow sands and possibly imaged deeper sands below the base of the slackwater deposits, giving more accurate estimates of thickness. GPR also accurately resolved the thickness and character of sandy terrace deposits. Direct-push conductivity logs provide both accurate estimates of the thickness of clayey slackwater terrace deposits and a means of identifying thin embedded sands. In summary, resistivity soundings image these deposits at the lowest resolution with one-dimensional models, whereas GPR provides much higher resolution showing detailed layering within the upper several meters. Direct-push conductivity logs provide the highest resolution, but are invasive and only reveal stratigraphy at one location.     

Contribution of electrical resistivity tomography to the study of detrital aquifers affected by seawater intrusion–extrusion effects: The river Vélez delta (Vélez-Málaga, southern Spain)

The coastal aquifer of the Plio-Quaternary delta sediment deposits of the Vélez river (province of Málaga, Spain) presents a highly irregular basement morphology and widely varying fill thickness (10–80 m between neighbouring sectors). The basin, which is tectonically controlled, is filled with lutite facies alternating with channel-filling rudites. This detrital aquifer is affected by seasonal seawater intrusion–extrusion processes due to increasing withdrawal of groundwater for human consumption and irrigation during dry periods.A study was performed to improve the hydrogeological knowledge of this coastal aquifer system. The study examined the morphology of the impervious substratum, the facies distribution and the position of the seawater wedge. For this purpose, an Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) geophysical technique was used and the tomographic data were calibrated using geological observations and borehole studies. An analysis was carried out to compare the direct information obtained from the 35 boreholes with the indirect data corresponding to the four electrical tomography profiles. In the study, over 9660 resistivity data points were processed.The ERT profiles perfectly corroborated the information derived from the boreholes. The profiles made it possible to detect thickness changes, lithological changes and the presence of faults. Moreover, from a hydrogeologic standpoint, this research technique is capable of detecting the position of the phreatic level and, in coastal aquifers such as the one examined in this study, the possible horizontal or vertical penetration of seawater intrusion. Therefore, the electrical geophysical prospecting based on ERT can be highly useful in areas lacking sufficient geological information and/or mechanical borehole data.     

Modeling of seawater intrusion in a coastal aquifer of Karaburun Peninsula,western Turkey

Seawater intrusion is a major problem to freshwater resources especially in coastal areas where fresh groundwater is surrounded and could be easily influenced by seawater. This study presents the development of a conceptual and numerical model for the coastal aquifer of Karareis region (Karaburun Peninsula) in the western part of Turkey. The study also presents the interpretation and the analysis of the time series data of groundwater levels recorded by data loggers. The SEAWAT model is used in this study to solve the density-dependent flow field and seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer that is under excessive pumping particularly during summer months. The model was calibrated using the average values of a 1-year dataset and further verified by the average values of another year. Five potential scenarios were analyzed to understand the effects of pumping and climate change on groundwater levels and the extent of seawater intrusion in the next 10 years. The result of the analysis demonstrated high levels of electrical conductivity and chloride along the coastal part of the study area. As a result of the numerical model, seawater intrusion is simulated to move about 420 m toward the land in the next 10 years under “increased pumping” scenario, while a slight change in water level and TDS concentrations was observed in “climate change” scenario. Results also revealed that a reduction in the pumping rate from Karareis wells will be necessary to protect fresh groundwater from contamination by seawater.     

Salinity mapping of coastal groundwater aquifers using hydrogeochemical and geophysical methods: a case study from north Kelantan,Malaysia

Integrated hydrogeochemical and geophysical methods were used to study the salinity of groundwater aquifers along the coastal area of north Kelantan. For the hydrogeochemical investigation, analysis of major ion contents of the groundwater was conducted, and other chemical parameters such as pH and total dissolved solids were also determined. For the geophysical study, both geoelectrical resistivity soundings and reflection seismic surveys were conducted to determine the characteristics of the subsurface and groundwater contained within the aquifers. The pH values range from 6.2 to 6.8, indicating that the groundwater in the study area is slightly acidic. Low content of chloride suggests that the groundwater in the first aquifer is fresh, with an average concentration of about 15.8 mg/l and high geoelectrical resistivity (>45 ohm m). On the other hand, the groundwater in the second aquifer is brackish, with chloride concentration ranging from 500 mg/l to 3,600 mg/l and very low geoelectrical resistivity (<45 ohm m) as well as high concentration of total dissolved solids (>1,000 mg/l). The groundwater in the third aquifer is fresh, with chloride concentrations generally ranging from 2 mg/l to 210 mg/l and geoelectrical resistivity of greater than 45 ohm m. Fresh and saltwater interface in the first aquifer is generally located directly in the area of the coast, but, for the second aquifer, both hydrogeochemical and geoelectrical resistivity results indicate that the fresh water and saltwater interface is located as far as 6 km from the beach. The considerable chloride ion content initially suggests that the salinity of the groundwater in the second aquifer is probably caused by the intrusion of seawater. However, continuous monitoring of the chloride content of the second aquifer indicated no significant changes with time, from which it can be inferred that the salinity of the groundwater is not affected by seasonal seawater intrusion. Schoeller diagrams illustrate that sulphate concentrations of the groundwater of the second aquifer are relatively low compared to those of the recent seawater. Therefore, this result suggests that the brackish water in the second aquifer is probably from ancient seawater that was trapped within the sediments for a long period of time, rather than due to direct seawater intrusion.     

Tracing subsurface oil pollution leakage using 2D electrical resistivity tomography

This study provides an evaluation of the subsurface oil contaminant flow in an oil production field at the Wadi Feiran fan, along the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. The 2D electrical resistivity tomography technique has been applied along four profiles surrounding the spill location of oil dump site. Theoretical soil resistivity response versus fluid resistivity for different cation exchange capacity values has been studied. Then, a physical model for the current situation of flowing the oil over the groundwater (sea invaded water) of saturated fluvial sediments has been introduced. It was supposed that the crude oil has higher resistivity values and turned to be conductive far away from the oil spill source under the effect of microbial biodegradation. Such conditions of contaminated distribution and its resistivity values have been considered during the inversion and interpretation of the acquired data sets. The processed 2D resistivity profiles reveal that oil plumes are accumulated in the seawater invasion direction, whereas it has low signatures along the profiles parallel to the shore line.     

Hydrochemistry of groundwater in a coastal region and its repercussion on quality,a case study—Thoothukudi district,Tamil Nadu,India

A hydrogeochemical study was conducted in Thoothukudi district situated in the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu, India to identify the influence of saltwater intrusion and suitability of groundwater for domestic and agricultural purposes. Scattered studies of this coastal region have reported signs of seawater intrusion, salt pan and industrial activity together with natural weathering process. To have a holistic picture of geochemical processes in the entire district, a total of 135 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for major cations and anions. The geochemical parameters were compared with world and Indian standards and it was found that most samples are unsuitable for drinking purpose. The geochemical facies of the groundwater showed Na–Cl as the dominant water type indicating the saline nature of the groundwater. Chadda’s plots show that most of the samples fall in the Na–Cl type of water due to seawater intrusion. The samples were classified with parameters like sodium absorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, total hardness, chloride, index to base exchange, electrical conductivity and facies to determine their suitability for irrigation purpose. It was inferred that the samples falling along the coast are not suitable for the irrigation purpose. The seawater-mixing percentage indicates that strong mixing was observed in the near shore and at the proximity of the salt pan. The permanent hardness was predominant in all the samples compared to the carbonate hardness reducing its domestic usability.     

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) of a coastal carbonate aquifer (Port-Miou, SE France)

As part of a larger regional research program “KarstEAU”, the authors have applied electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) techniques to characterize heterogeneities in the Port-Miou coastal karst aquifer (Cassis, SE France). Field surveys were carried out on intensely fractured and karstified Urgonian carbonates. Extensive research has characterized macro- and micro-scale geology of the Port-Miou area and particularly underground water-filled conduits and fault/fracture and karst systems within a former quarry. The authors applied 2D ERT along two surface profiles of length 420 and 595 m to test capability for delineating subsurface conduits and possibly relationship between conduit and fault/fracture/karst orientation; and 3D ERT with a dense 120 electrode array at 1 m spacing (11 × 10 m) was applied over an area of the quarry that had been profiled using 3D georadar and which has had intensive nearby structural geological interpretation. The 2D profiling imaged several underground conduits at depths to >50 m below ground surface and below sea level, including possibly the main Port Miou submarine spring and smaller springs. The 2D profiling within the quarry provided a better understanding of the connectivity between major fractures and faults on the quarry walls and secondary springs along the coast supporting flow of the secondary springs along interpreted fracture orientations. In addition, 2D inversion-derived conductivity models indicate that high resistivity zones above sea-level are associated with non-saturated zones and low resistivity anomalies in the non-saturated zone are associated with residual clays in paleokarsts. A partitioned lower resistivity zone below sea-level can be associated with a higher porosity/permeability zone with fractures and karstic features. Inversion models of the dense 3D ERT data indicate a higher resistivity volume within the larger surveyed block. The survey characterized the non-saturated zone and the ERT resistivities are correlated with karst features interpreted by 3D georadar and visible in the inferior wall of the quarry.     

Marine electrical resistivity imaging of submarine groundwater discharge: sensitivity analysis and application in Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, USA

Electrical resistivity imaging has been used in coastal settings to characterize fresh submarine groundwater discharge and the position of the freshwater/salt-water interface because of the relation of bulk electrical conductivity to pore-fluid conductivity, which in turn is a function of salinity. Interpretation of tomograms for hydrologic processes is complicated by inversion artifacts, uncertainty associated with survey geometry limitations, measurement errors, and choice of regularization method. Variation of seawater over tidal cycles poses unique challenges for inversion. The capabilities and limitations of resistivity imaging are presented for characterizing the distribution of freshwater and saltwater beneath a beach. The experimental results provide new insight into fresh submarine groundwater discharge at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, East Falmouth, Massachusetts (USA). Tomograms from the experimental data indicate that fresh submarine groundwater discharge may shut down at high tide, whereas temperature data indicate that the discharge continues throughout the tidal cycle. Sensitivity analysis and synthetic modeling provide insight into resolving power in the presence of a time-varying saline water layer. In general, vertical electrodes and cross-hole measurements improve the inversion results regardless of the tidal level, whereas the resolution of surface arrays is more sensitive to time-varying saline water layer.     

Investigation of seawater intrusion in the Dibdibba Aquifer using 2D resistivity imaging in the area between Al-Zubair and Umm Qasr,southern Iraq

Electrical resistivity surveying for delineating seawater intrusion was performed in the Dibdibba aquifer in the area between the cities of Al-Zubair–Safwan and Al-Zubair–Umm Qasr in the vicinity of Khor AL-Zubair Channel, Basrah governorate, southern Iraq. Fourteen 2D resistivity profiles with a total length of 14 km were collected in the study area. The resistivity sections were compared with lithological data extracted from 11 boreholes. Thirty-nine groundwater samples were collected within the area and analyzed for chemical constituents; internal hydrogeological reports and unpublished studies were also evaluated. Results reveal the existence of three major resistivity layers, ranging from 0.1 to 130 Ωm at various depths and locations. The first layer has very low electrical resistivity (0.1–5 Ωm) representing a layer saturated with saltwater intruded from Khor AL-Zubair Channel. The second layer shows resistivity in the range of 5–130 Ωm, attributed to a transition zone and an unaffected zone saturated with brackish groundwater. The last resistivity layer (<?3 Ωm) represents coarse-grain sediments saturated with saline groundwater. Furthermore, a hard clay bed (Jojab) appears with a resistivity of 3–7 Ωm in all 2D imaging lines within a depth of 20–28 m. Electrical conductivity (EC) measurements from seven wells collected in 2014 and 2016 show a positive EC difference increasing landward with an average increase of 1927 µS/cm. In addition, six chemical relationships (Na/Cl, [Ca?+?Mg]/[HCO₃?+?SO₄], SO₄/HCO₃, SO₄/Cl, Mg/Ca and Cl/[HCO₃?+?CO₃]) are used to detect the source of salinity in groundwater. This study proves that extensive use of high-resolution 2D imaging sections, alongside lithological and hydrogeological data, can serve as a useful tool to delineate the boundaries between aquifers, identify hydraulic boundaries between groundwater with different salinities and allocate hard clay layers between the upper and lower Dibdibba aquifer. In general, the combination of 2D imaging and hydrochemistry enables conceptualization of the hydrogeological situation in the subsurface and characterization of the salinity source, here seawater intrusion, in the study area. There have been no studies published so far on the characteristics of saltwater intrusion in the study area, and this study is considered to be important for monitoring and studying the intrusion and regression of seawater.     

Hydrochemistry and origin of salinity in groundwater in parts of Lower Tista Floodplain,northwest Bangladesh

Hydrochemistry in parts of the Lower Tista Floodplain in northwest Bangladesh is dominated by alkalies and weakly acid, having highest concentration of sodium cations and bicarbonate anions respectively. Groundwater is characterized by sodium-calcium and sodium-potassium cation and bicarbonate-chloride-sulphate anion facies, and genetically ‘normal chloride’, ‘normal sulphate’, and ‘normal carbonated’ type, and soft to saline. Based on electrical conductivity values, the area is divided into northern fresh and southern saline groundwater zone, and values like salinity, Na%, SAR, and RSC and a good correlation between Na⁺ and Cl^?, and Cl^? and salinity reveals increasing salinity with depth indicating a mixing of fresh and saline bodies due to marine transgression (?) during Holocene period in the Bengal delta. The rock weathering is likely to affect the groundwater quality by dolomite dissolution and calcium precipitation, representing reverse softening process and is brine seawater. Water extracted from shallow zone (from 20 to 30 m) has suitability for drinking purpose, livestock consumption and irrigation purposes, and partially suitable for industrial use, but that from deeper zone (from 30 to 50 m) is generally poor and unsuitable especially for irrigation purposes with low alkali and moderate to high salinity hazard. So groundwater can be used for irrigation in the area of fine textured soil with proper management practices.     

Improving the groundwater-well siting approach in consolidated rock in Nampula Province,Mozambique

Vertical electrical sounding was used for assessing the suitability of the drill sites in crystalline areas within a water supply project in Nampula Province in Mozambique. Many boreholes have insufficient yield (<600 L/h). Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was carried out over seven boreholes with sufficient yield, and five boreholes with insufficient yield, in Rapale District, in an attempt to understand the reason for the failed boreholes. Two significant hydrogeological units were identified: the altered zone (19–220 ohm-m) with disintegrated rock fragments characterized by intermediate porosity and permeability, and the fractured zone (>420 ohm-m) with low porosity and high permeability. In addition to this, there is unfractured nonpermeable intact rock with resistivity of thousands of ohm-m. The unsuccessful boreholes were drilled over a highly resistive zone corresponding to fresh crystalline rock and a narrow altered layer with lower resistivity. Successful boreholes were drilled in places where the upper layers with lower resistivity correspond to a well-developed altered layer or a well-fractured basement. There are a few exceptions with boreholes drilled in seemingly favourable locations but they were nevertheless unsuccessful boreholes for unknown reasons. Furthermore, there were boreholes drilled into very resistive zones that produced successful water wells, which may be due to narrow permeable fracture zones that are not resolved by ERT. Community involvement is proposed, in choosing between alternative borehole locations based on information acquired with a scientifically based approach, including conceptual geological models and ERT. This approach could probably lower the borehole failure rate.     

Geoelectrical and hydrogeochemical studies for delineating seawater intrusion in the outlet of Wadi Ham, UAE

The Quaternary aquifer of Wadi Ham, UAE has been overexploited during the last two decades to meet the increasing water demands. As a result, the dynamic balance between freshwater and seawater has been disturbed and the quality of the groundwater has deteriorated. In this paper, a 2D earth resistivity survey was conducted in Wadi Ham in the area between Fujairah and Kalba to delineate the seawater intrusion. Existing monitoring wells were used to measure the horizontal and vertical variations in water salinity and thus to improve the interpretation of earth resistivity imaging data. Results of vertical electrical soundings and chemical analyses of collected water samples were used to obtain an empirical relationship between the inferred earth resistivity and the amount of total dissolved solids. This relationship was used along with the true resistivity sections resulting from the inversion of 2D resistivity data to identify three zones of water-bearing formation (fresh, brackish, and salt-water zones). Along the four 2D resistivity profiles, the depth to the fresh-brackish interface exceeded 50 m at the western part of the area and was in the order of 10 m or less in the eastern side near the shoreline. Depth to the brackish-saline water interface reached about 70 m in the western side and was in the order of 20 m in the eastern side. The thickness of the fresh water zone decreases considerably in the farming areas toward Kalba and thus the degree of seawater intrusion increases.