Tidal effects on variations of fresh–saltwater interface and groundwater flow in a multilayered coastal aquifer on a volcanic island (Jeju Island, Korea)

We conducted various field studies at the seawater intrusion monitoring wells located in the eastern part of Jeju Island, Korea, to observe the tidal effect on groundwater–seawater flow in the coastal aquifer. Studies included monitoring the fluctuations of groundwater and tide levels, electrical and temperature logging, and 2-D heat-pulse flowmeter tests. According to time-series analysis, tidal effects on groundwater level reached up to 3 km inland from the coastline. Water-level variation was more sensitive to tidal fluctuations near the coast, and more related to rainfall toward inland areas. Temporal and spatial variations in the shape and location of the freshwater–saltwater interface were analyzed using data from nine monitoring wells. The results indicated that the interface toe is located at a distance of 6–8 km from the coastline and its location was related to geological layers present. Long-term seasonal variations revealed no major changes in the interface; minor variations were due to moving boundary conditions induced by tidal fluctuations. Using the two-dimensional heat-pulse flowmeter, groundwater flow directions and velocities at four tidal stages were measured on three monitoring wells drilled into the multilayered aquifers. This direct measurement enabled us to relate the differences of flow velocities and directions with geology and tidal fluctuations. Combining the results of EC logging and flowmeter tests, we found a zone where freshwater and saltwater moved alternately in opposite directions, as influenced by the tidal fluctuations. Integrating various physical logging and flowmeter data with water-level fluctuations improved our understanding of the behavior of fresh and seawater flow in the coastal aquifers.     

A general solution for tide‐induced groundwater fluctuation in an estuarine‐coastal confined and unconfined aquifer system

This paper presents an analytical solution to tide‐induced head fluctuations in a two‐dimensional estuarine‐coastal aquifer system that consists of an unconfined aquifer and a heterogeneous confined aquifer extending under a tidal river with a semipermeable layer between them. This study considers the joint effects of tidal‐river leakage, inland leakage, dimensionless transmissivity between the tidal‐river and inland confined aquifer, and transmissivity anisotropic ratios. The analytical solution for this model is obtained via the separation of variables method. Three existing solutions related to head fluctuation in one‐ or two‐dimensional leaky confined aquifers are considered as special cases in the present solution. This study shows that there is a threshold of tidal‐river confined aquifer length. When the tidal‐river length is greater than the threshold length, the inland head fluctuations remain sensitive to the leakage effect but become insensitive to the tidal‐river width and dimensionless transmissivity. Considering leakage and transmissivity anisotropy, this study also demonstrates that at a location farther from the river–inland boundary, head fluctuations increase with increasing leakage and transmissivity anisotropy; the maximum head fluctuation occurs when leakage and transmissivity anisotropy are both at their maximum values. The combined action of the 3 effects of loading, tidal‐river aquifer leakage, and inland aquifer leakage differs significantly according to various aquifer parameters. The analytical solution in this paper can be applied to demonstrate the behaviours of the head fluctuations of an estuarine‐coastal aquifer system, and the head fluctuations can be clearly described when the tidal and hydrogeological parameters are derived from field measurement data or hypothetical cases.     

A semi‐analytical solution for groundwater responses to stream‐stage variations and tidal fluctuations in a coastal aquifer

A two‐dimensional semi‐analytical solution to analyse stream–aquifer interactions in a coastal aquifer where groundwater level responds to tidal effects is presented. The conceptual model considered is a two‐dimensional subsurface system with stream and coastline boundaries at right angles. The dimensional and non‐dimensional boundary value problems were solved for water level in the aquifer by successive application of Laplace and Fourier transform techniques, and the results were obtained by numerical inversion of the transformed solution. The solution was then verified by reducing the solutions to one‐dimensional known problems and comparing the results with those from previous studies. Hypothetical examples were used to examine the characteristics of water‐level variations due to the variations in stream stage and the fluctuations in tide level. Sensitivity analysis indicated that streambed leakance has no influence over the amplitude of groundwater fluctuations, but that the effect of stream stage increases with increasing leakance. Little difference was observed in the water level for different aquifer penetration ratios with narrow stream width. Increases in streambed leakance caused increases in the effect of aquifer penetration by the stream on the water level. An increased specific yield value resulted in decreased amplitude of water fluctuations and mean water level, and showed that water‐level variations due to stream and tidal boundaries are sensitive to specific yield. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reliable Monitoring of the Transition Zone Between Fresh and Saline Waters in Coastal Aquifers

This study deals with the reliability of monitoring the transition zone between fresh and saline waters in coastal aquifers, considering the effect of tides in long‐perforated boreholes. Electric conductivity (EC) fluctuations in the coastal aquifer of Israel, as measured in long‐perforated borehole, were found to have the same periodicities as the sea tide, though some orders of magnitude larger than sea‐level or groundwater level fluctuations. Direct measurements in the aquifer through buried EC sensors demonstrate that EC measurements within the long‐perforated boreholes might be distorted due to vertical flow in the boreholes, whereas actual fluctuations of the transition zone within the aquifer are some orders of magnitude smaller. Considering these field data, we suggest that monitoring of the transition zone between fresh and saline water adjacent to the sea through long‐perforated boreholes is unreliable. EC fluctuations in short‐perforated boreholes (1 m perforation at the upper part of the transition zone) were somewhat larger than in the aquifer, but much smaller than those in the long‐perforated borehole. The short‐perforation diminishes the vertical flow and the distortion and therefore is more reliable for monitoring the transition zone in the shoreline vicinity.     

中国大陆井水温度潮汐动态的统计与调和分析

用收集到的全国356个井水温度测点的数据, 分析了水温对地球固体潮汐的响应, 统计出 35个存在水温潮汐现象的测点。 利用Baytap-G调和分析方法, 计算了水温潮汐分波的振幅、 振幅比和相位差。 结果表明: 水温潮汐现象是一类较普遍的地球物理现象, 其机制与水位潮汐相关, 可用水动力学模式解释; 水温潮汐变化特征还受太阳辐射热、 含水层和地温的影响, 自流井水温记录潮汐现象的能力高于非自流井、 东部地区水温测点记录潮汐现象的能力高于西部, 与太阳辐射热的影响有关, 在含水层附近的水温测点, 其潮汐动态比其他井段显著, 在受地温影响较大的井段, 水温的潮汐变化幅度与水温梯度成正比; 水温的应力-应变灵敏度量级为0.01～10℃/10^-6m·s^-2。     

A two‐dimensional analytical solution for groundwater flow in a leaky confined aquifer system near open tidal water

Groundwater in coastal areas is commonly disturbed by tidal fluctuations. A two‐dimensional analytical solution is derived to describe the groundwater fluctuation in a leaky confined aquifer system near open tidal water under the assumption that the groundwater head in the confined aquifer fluctuates in response to sea tide whereas that of the overlying unconfined aquifer remains constant. The analytical solution presented here is an extension of the solution by Sun for two‐dimensional groundwater flow in a confined aquifer and the solution by Jiao and Tang for one‐dimensional groundwater flow in a leaky confined aquifer. The analytical solution is compared with a two‐dimensional finite difference solution. On the basis of the analytical solution, the groundwater head distribution in a leaky confined aquifer in response to tidal boundaries is examined and the influence of leakage on groundwater fluctuation is discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of time series analysis for the identification of tidal effect on groundwater in the coastal area of Kimje, Korea

The purpose of this study is to apply time series analysis to investigate whether the groundwater quality in the coastal area is affected by the tide. Continuous and regular in situ monitoring data of electrical conductivity (EC) and groundwater level, and tidal level data measured by the National Oceanographic Research Institute were used for the time series analysis. Through the time series analysis, it is known that EC and groundwater level conspicuously fluctuate with two periodicities (15.4 and 0.52-day), which is very similar to those of the tide. Also the behaviors of their fluctuations vary in accordance with the tidal period. These indicate that the groundwater quality has been mainly controlled by the tidal level, and the strength of tidal effect on the groundwater quality is different according to the tidal period.     

Determination of aquifer parameters based on measurements of tidal effects on a coastal aquifer near Beihai,China

Measurements of the tide and groundwater levels in coastal zones are of importance in determining the properties of coastal aquifers. The solution to a one‐dimensional unsteady groundwater flow model in a coastal confined aquifer with sinusoidal fluctuation of the tide shows that the tidal efficiency decreases exponentially with distance and the time lag increases linearly with distance from the coast. The aquifer property described by the ratio of storage coefficient to transmissivity is determined if the damping constant of the tidal efficiency or the slope of the time lag with distance are obtained on the basis of tidal measurements. Hourly observations of the tide and groundwater levels at 10 wells on the northern coast near Beihai, China show that with distance from the coast, tidal efficiency decreases roughly exponentially and the time lag increases roughly linearly. The estimated ratio of storage coefficient to transmissivity of the confined aquifer ranges from 1·169 × 10^?6 d m^?2 to 1·83 × 10^?7 d m^?2. For a given transmissivity of 750 m² d^?1, the storage coefficient of the aquifer is 8·7675 × 10^?4 with the tidal efficiency method and 1·3725 × 10^?4 with the time lag method. The damping constant of the tidal efficiency with distance can be defined as the tidal propagation coefficient. The value of the confined aquifer is determined as 0·0018892 m^?1. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Homotopy Perturbation Method‐Based Analytical Solution for Tide‐Induced Groundwater Fluctuations

The groundwater variations in unconfined aquifers are governed by the nonlinear Boussinesq's equation. Analytical solution for groundwater fluctuations in coastal aquifers under tidal forcing can be solved using perturbation methods. However, the perturbation parameters should be properly selected and predefined for traditional perturbation methods. In this study, a new dimensional, higher‐order analytical solution for groundwater fluctuations is proposed by using the homotopy perturbation method with a virtual perturbation parameter. Parameter‐expansion method is used to remove the secular terms generated during the solution process. The solution does not require any predefined perturbation parameter and valid for higher values of amplitude parameter A/D, where A is the amplitude of the tide and D is the aquifer thickness.     

A simple method for locating the fresh water-salt water interface using pressure data

Salt water intrusion is a key issue in dealing with exploitation, restoration, and management of fresh ground water in coastal aquifers. Constant monitoring of the fresh water-salt water interface is necessary for proper management of ground water resources. This study presents a simple method to estimate the depth of the fresh water-salt water interface in coastal aquifers using two sets of pressure data obtained from the fresh and saline zones within a single borehole. This method uses the density difference between fresh water and saline water and can practically be used at coastal aquifers that have a relatively sharp fresh water-salt water interface with a thin transition zone. The proposed method was applied to data collected from a coastal aquifer on Jeju Island, Korea, to estimate the variations in the depth of the interface. The interface varied with daily tidal fluctuations and heavy rainfall in the rainy season. The estimated depth of the interface showed a good agreement with the measured electrical conductivity profile.     

井孔水温动态变化的影响因素探讨

本文主要通过对近两年来在北京塔院井、 四川西昌太和井不同深度上取得的水温观测资料的对比研究, 得到以下认识: ① 塔院井有套管封闭, 温度梯度变化较小的区段内, 梯度是水温动态的主要影响因素, 梯度变化较大的上部, 水温动态无明显的规律性, 梯度变化较小的下部, 正梯度段内水温潮汐与水位同向变化; ② 塔院井负温度梯度段对其下部旧探头震后变化形态有明显影响, 使得震后需要较长时间才能恢复; ③ 太和井位于观测含水层位范围内的探头由于受温度梯度和含水层进出水的共同影响, 使得其温度动态变化更为复杂。 研究结果表明, 分析水温资料和放置水温探头时, 充分了解井孔水文地质条件、 井孔结构和温度梯度分布是非常必要的。     

非自流井水温传感器置深对固体潮体应变响应的影响

水温传感器置深不同,所反映的固体潮效应不同.基于非自流井水温传感器深度,从与井底深度和含水层顶板埋深的相对位置关系,探讨水温传感器不同置深对固体潮体应变响应的影响,明确其最佳观测条件,分析认为:非自流井中水温记录固体潮效应的前提条件依次为:水位能记录到固体潮效应,水温传感器投放在观测含水层上方,传感器投放在地温梯度相对...     

冷水源井水温固体潮现象及其机理研究以黄村井为例

该文对黄村冷水源井的水温固体潮现象进行了观测研究,初步解释了冷水源井的水温固体潮汐的形成机理.通过对黄村观测井进行水温梯度的详细观测及不同深度水温的对比观测研究,得到了黄村井水温潮汐现象的观测结果:① 黄村冷水源井的水温固体潮的相位与水位的相位是相反的;② 黄村井水温梯度曲线呈下凹型,特别是在含水层及受含水层进出水影响较大的附近区域下凹程度大,且随着与含水层底板距离逐渐变大,下凹程度也变小;③ 水温传感器的观测值与含水层观测距离存在一定的规律性:距离含水层越远,水温潮汐差越小, 直至潮汐变化消失.这说明冷水源井与热水井的水温潮汐现象是不同的,前者是吸热过程, 后者是放热过程,由此造成二者水-热动力学特征的不同.      

Performance of a nowcast/forecast system for Prince William Sound,Alaska

A coastal ocean extended Prince William Sound nowcast/forecast system (EPWS/NFS) has been running semi-automatically for an extended domain of Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska for 2 years. To determine the performance of this modeling system, an assessment is conducted. EPWS/NFS and PWS/NFS (viz., its predecessor) nowcasts are compared with observed time series of sea surface temperature (SST) and coastal sea level (CSL) at a few stations, and to velocity profiles from a moored ADCP. With the extension of the model domain to include the continental shelf outside PWS and forced by an operational global ocean model (Global-Navy Coastal Ocean Model (Global-NCOM)) and a 2D tidal model at the open boundary, EPWS/NFS has achieved significant improvement over PWS/NFS, which covered only PWS per se, for most of the predicted variables in this study. In both magnitude and phase, EPWS/NFS accurately predicts the coastal tide fluctuations, as well as M2 tidal currents in Central Sound, although significant errors in coastal tides exist during some spring and neap tide cycles. Other than for the tidal motions, EPWS/NFS generally produces less energetic CSL and velocity variations than those observed. In comparison, although PWS/NFS well predicts the coastal tides, it suffers from the absence of low-frequency CSL variations, as well as misprediction of M2 tidal currents in Central Sound. For 40 h low-passed PWS/NFS and EPWS/NFS velocities, significant phase error occurs during the model–date comparison period, while EPWS/NFS nowcasts generally produce less root-mean-square-error (rmse) and smaller correlations with the observations than PWS/NFS does. Both observations and EPWS/NFS have similar vertical profiles of baroclinic velocity standard deviations, but some substantial discrepancies occur in the velocity direction. Also, in the Central Sound, EPWS/NFS predicts well the SST seasonal cycle and a major cooling event during the summer 2005. However, for periods shorter than 1 week, both PWS/NFS and EPWS/NFS SST underestimated the observed fluctuations by an order of magnitude.     

Hydrodynamic characterization of a Sahelian coastal aquifer using the ocean tide effect (Dridrate Aquifer,Morocco)

Abstract

In wells tapping coastal aquifers, piezometric fluctuations can be observed in response to the ocean tide. Simultaneous recordings of the ocean tide and of the piezometric variations may provide a basis for characterizing the hydrodynamics of the aquifer. This approach was attempted to characterize the Dridrate aquifer, located on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. This aquifer accounts for most of the regional drinking water resources. However, its hydrodynamic characteristics are very poorly known. The study compares observed and simulated piezometric fluctuations, under various assumptions (confined, semi-confined aquifer). The model, which best explains the hydrodynamic behaviour of this aquifer is a semi-confined and strongly heterogeneous aquifer model (calculated hydraulic diffusivity values vary over several orders of magnitude). This result is new and rather surprising, since to date this aquifer was considered confined in view of its geological setting. Consequently, new questions are raised regarding the protection and management of the groundwater resources of this aquifer.     

A two-dimensional analytical solution of groundwater responses to tidal loading in an estuary and ocean

Previous studies on tidal dynamics of coastal aquifers have focussed on the inland propagation of oceanic tides in the cross-shore direction, a configuration that is essentially one-dimensional. Aquifers at natural coasts can also be influenced by tidal waves in nearby estuaries, resulting in a more complex behaviour of head fluctuations in the aquifers. We present an analytical solution to the two-dimensional depth-averaged groundwater flow equation for a semi-infinite aquifer subject to oscillating head conditions at the boundaries. The solution describes the tidal dynamics of a coastal aquifer that is adjacent to a cross-shore estuary. Both the effects of oceanic and estuarine tides on the aquifer are included in the solution. The analytical prediction of the head fluctuations is verified by comparison with numerical solutions computed using a standard finite-difference method. An essential feature of the present analytical solution is the interaction between the cross- and along-shore tidal waves in the aquifer area near the estuary’s entry. As the distance from the estuary or coastline increases, the wave interaction is weakened and the aquifer response is reduced, respectively, to the one-dimensional solution for oceanic tides or the solution of Sun (Sun H. A two-dimensional analytical solution of groundwater response to tidal loading in an estuary, Water Resour Res 1997;33:1429–35) for two-dimensional non-interacting tidal waves.     

Short‐term rock surface expansion and contraction in the intertidal zone

Transverse micro‐erosion meter (TMEM) stations were installed in rock slabs from shore platforms in eastern Canada. The slabs were put into artificial sea water for 1, 6 or 11 hours, representing high, mid‐ and low tidal areas, respectively. The TMEMs were used to record changes in surface elevation as the rocks dried during the remainder of the 12 h of a semi‐diurnal tidal cycle. A similar technique was used on the same rock types at intertidal TMEM stations in the field, as the rocks dried during low tide. Argillite and basalt surface contraction was from 0 to 0·04 mm: there was little surface expansion. Sandstones contracted by up to 0·03 mm in the field, but there was almost no contraction in the laboratory. Argillite and basalt contraction tended to be greatest in the upper intertidal zone, and to increase with rates of longer‐term surface downwearing, but there was little relationship with rock hardness or air temperature and humidity. Changes in elevation at the same points at TMEM stations in the laboratory and field were quite consistent from one tidal cycle to the next, but there were considerable variations within single tidal cycles between different points within each station. The data suggest that contraction within the elevational zone that is normally submerged twice a day by the tides is by alternate wetting and drying. Short‐term changes in elevation are generally low compared with annual rates of downwearing owing to erosion, but they may generate stresses that contribute to rock breakdown. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tide‐induced groundwater head fluctuation in a coastal aquifer system with a submarine outcrop covered by a thin silt layer

We present an analytical solution of groundwater head response to tidal fluctuation in a coastal multilayered aquifer system consisting of an unconfined aquifer, a leaky confined aquifer and a semi‐permeable layer between them. The submarine outcrop of the confined aquifer is covered by a thin silt layer. A mathematical model and the analytical solution of this model are given. The silt layer reduces the amplitude of the hydraulic head fluctuation by a constant factor, and shifts the phase by a positive constant (time lag), both of which depend on the leakances of the silt layer and the semi‐permeable layer. The time lag is less than 1·5 h and 3·0 h for semi‐diurnal and diurnal sea tides respectively. When the leakance of the semi‐permeable layer or the silt layer assumes certain special values, the solution becomes the existing solutions derived by previous researchers. The amplitude of the hydraulic head fluctuation in the confined aquifer increases with the leakance of the silt layer and decreases with the leakance of the semi‐permeable layer, whereas the phase shift of the fluctuation decreases with both of them. A hypothetical example shows that neglecting the silt layer may result in significant parameter estimation discrepancy between the amplitude attenuation and the time‐lag fittings. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wave transformation across a macrotidal shore platform under low to moderate energy conditions

We investigate how waves are transformed across a shore platform as this is a central question in rock coast geomorphology. We present results from deployment of three pressure transducers over four days, across a sloping, wide (~200 m) cliff‐backed shore platform in a macrotidal setting, in South Wales, United Kingdom. Cross‐shore variations in wave heights were evident under the predominantly low to moderate (significant wave height < 1.4 m) energy conditions measured. At the outer transducer 50 m from the seaward edge of the platform (163 m from the cliff) high tide water depths were 8+ m meaning that waves crossed the shore platform without breaking. At the mid‐platform position water depth was 5 m. Water depth at the inner transducer (6 m from the cliff platform junction) at high tide was 1.4 m. This shallow water depth forced wave breaking, thereby limiting wave heights on the inner platform. Maximum wave height at the middle and inner transducers were 2.41 and 2.39 m, respectively, and significant wave height 1.35 m and 1.34 m, respectively. Inner platform high tide wave heights were generally larger where energy was up to 335% greater than near the seaward edge where waves were smaller. Infragravity energy was less than 13% of the total energy spectra with energy in the swell, wind and capillary frequencies accounting for 87% of the total energy. Wave transformation is thus spatially variable and is strongly modulated by platform elevation and the tidal range. While shore platforms in microtidal environments have been shown to be highly dissipative, in this macro‐tidal setting up to 90% of the offshore wave energy reached the landward cliff at high tide, so that the shore platform cliff is much more reflective. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of the shallow aquifers by high-resolution seismic data

We present the results obtained by processing high-resolution seismic data acquired along the spring line located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia plain (NE of Italy), in order to characterize an important multilayered aquifer. This system is made of an unconfined layer and, at increasing depths, of several confined aquifers of variable thickness and hydraulic permeability, mainly consisting of sand and gravel material. The main targets of this study are two shallow aquifers located at about 30 m and 200 m depth respectively. The seismic method is not frequently used for this type of study but in this case, it was considered a good tool due to the depth of the targets. The detailed velocity model we obtained reveals lateral velocity variations with a maximum value of 600 m/s. The higher velocities could be associated to layers that are confined aquifers; in fact, sand and gravel are characterized by higher seismic velocity compared to clay layers. Pre-stack depth migration using this velocity model gives a clear picture of the multilayered aquifer, highlighting lateral changes of seismic amplitude along the main reflectors. Finally, vertical variations of Poisson's ratio, computed by amplitude versus offset analysis, provide useful information about the petrophysical properties, such as the fluid content of the subsoil and lithologic changes.