Groundwater-flow modeling in the Yucatan karstic aquifer, Mexico

The current conceptual model of the unconfined karstic aquifer in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, is that a fresh-water lens floats above denser saline water that penetrates more than 40 km inland. The transmissivity of the aquifer is very high so the hydraulic gradient is very low, ranging from 7–10 mm/km through most of the northern part of the peninsula. The computer modeling program AQUIFER was used to investigate the regional groundwater flow in the aquifer. The karstified zone was modeled using the assumption that it acts hydraulically similar to a granular, porous medium. As part of the calibration, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) karstic features play an important role in the groundwater-flow system; (2) a ring or belt of sinkholes in the area is a manifestation of a zone of high transmissivity that facilitates the channeling of groundwater toward the Gulf of Mexico; and (3) the geologic features in the southern part of Yucatan influence the groundwater-flow system. The model shows that the Sierrita de Ticul fault, in the southwestern part of the study area, acts as a flow barrier and head values decline toward the northeast. The modeling also shows that the regional flow-system dynamics have not been altered despite the large number of pumping wells because the volume of water pumped is small compared with the volume of recharge, and the well-developed karst system of the region has a very high hydraulic conductivity. Electronic Publication     

钙质砂水理性质及对岛礁淡水透镜体形成的影响

钙质砂的水理性质对岛礁地下淡水透镜体的形成至关重要。通过室内试验的方法从透水性、容水性和给水性3个方面对南海钙质砂的水理性质进行了研究,并在此基础上进一步结合数值模拟手段,探讨了上述相关性质对岛礁淡水透镜体形成的影响。结果表明：南海钙质砂多具有级配不良且不均匀的特征;其渗透系数通常在0.023~110 m/d之间,区域间差异较大,而孔隙度和给水度则主要集中在0.40~0.55和0.012~0.310之间,与同粒径范围的陆源砂相比,呈现出容水性好但给水性偏低的特征。钙质砂的水理性质对岛礁地下淡水透镜体形成的影响主要体现在流速、厚度、资源储量以及形成时间等方面,其中钙质砂的透水性越好,地下水中的流速越快,咸淡水间的混合作用越强,导致淡水透镜体的厚度越薄,储量越少;给水性则主要影响钙质砂中淡水透镜体的资源储量,对淡水透镜体的厚度及形状影响较小。     

下辽河平原南部明化镇组咸水体赋存条件及分布特征

下辽河平原南部自上世纪七十年代以来陆续开采了上第三系明化镇组深层地下水,开采至今暴露出一系列的问题,如区域地下水头下降较快形成大面积水头降落、局部出现咸水体扩张及淡水咸化问题,严重威胁该地区居民的淡水资源安全.通过对下辽河平原南部上第三系地下水明化镇组含水层咸水体赋存的地质地貌、补迳排条件、动态特征等进行研究,掌握其赋...     

Changes of freshwater-lens thickness in basaltic island aquifers overlain by thick coastal sediments

Freshwater-lens thickness and long-term changes in freshwater volume in coastal aquifers are commonly assessed through repeated measurement of salinity profiles from monitor wells that penetrate into underlying salt water. In Hawaii, the thickest measured freshwater lens is currently 262 m in dike-free, volcanic-rock aquifers that are overlain by thick coastal sediments. The midpoint depth (depth where salinity is 50% salt water) between freshwater and salt water can serve as an indicator for freshwater thickness. Most measured midpoints have risen over the past 40 years, indicating a shrinking lens. The mean rate of rise of the midpoint from 1999–2009 varied locally, with faster rates in highly developed areas (1.0 m/year) and slower rates in less developed areas (0.5  m/year). The thinning of the freshwater lenses is the result of long-term groundwater withdrawal and reduced recharge. Freshwater/salt-water interface locations predicted from measured water levels and the Ghyben-Herzberg principle may be deeper than measured midpoints during some periods and shallower during other periods, although depths may differ up to 100 m in some cases. Moreover, changes in the midpoint are slower than changes in water level. Thus, water levels may not be a reliable indicator of the amount of freshwater in a coastal aquifer.     

The role of interbasin groundwater transfers in geologically complex terranes,demonstrated by the Great Basin in the western United States

In the Great Basin, USA, bedrock interbasin flow is conceptualized as the mechanism by which large groundwater fluxes flow through multiple basins and intervening mountains. Interbasin flow is propounded based on: (1) water budget imbalances, (2) potential differences between basins, (3) stable isotope evidence, and (4) modeling studies. However, water budgets are too imprecise to discern interbasin transfers and potential differences may exist with or without interbasin fluxes. Potentiometric maps are dependent on conceptual underpinnings, leading to possible false inferences regarding interbasin transfers. Isotopic evidence is prone to non-unique interpretation and may be confounded by the effects of climate change. Structural and stratigraphic considerations in a geologically complex region like the Great Basin should produce compartmentalization, where increasing aquifer size increases the odds of segmentation along a given flow path. Initial conceptual hypotheses should explain flow with local recharge and short flow paths. Where bedrock interbasin flow is suspected, it is most likely controlled by diversion of water into the damage zones of normal faults, where fault cores act as barriers. Large-scale bedrock interbasin flow where fluxes must transect multiple basins, ranges, and faults at high angles should be the conceptual model of last resort.     

一种可增加海岛地下淡水资源储量的方法研究

淡水透镜体作为海岛上珍贵的地下淡水资源,对于满足居民生活用水与维护生态系统具有重要作用,增加海岛地下淡水资源储量可有效缓解海岛地区普遍存在的水资源短缺问题。本研究提出通过在海岛外部区域采用低渗透性介质材料增加海岛地下淡水资源储量的方法,采用室内物理模型实验与基于变密度地下水流溶质运移模型的数值模拟相结合的方法对提出方法的有效性进行了验证,并通过野外尺度的数学模型分析工程实施可能性。实验与数值模拟结果较吻合,表明该方法具有抵御海水入侵、增加海岛地下淡水资源储量的巨大潜力。通过基于野外尺度的数值模拟分析工程实施的可能性,发现对于降雨入渗补给强度为0.005 7 m/d、长度为200 m,孔隙度为0.3的狭长形均质海岛,地下淡水储量为66.5 m3/m,在海岛外部区域采用渗透系数为1 m/d、厚度为5 m的低渗透性介质材料后,淡水透镜体经过约8 a时间可再次达到稳态,地下淡水储量为343.8 m3/m,增加约4倍,工程实施具备一定可能性。本研究为缓解海岛地区缺水问题、实现淡水资源可持续利用提供了一种新方法。     

边坡防渗增加灰沙岛地下淡水的试验与数值模拟研究

地下淡水是支撑海岛居民生活用水保障和生态岛屿建设的重要战略资源。目前海岛淡水资源十分匮乏,鉴于我国灰沙岛的现实复杂性,亟需实施低成本、易操作且对岛礁稳定性及生态系统影响较小的增加地下淡水的措施。本研究提出了采用在海陆边坡处铺设防渗材料人为干预地下淡水体形成、增加淡水储量的措施,并通过砂箱试验和数值模拟相结合的方法在实验室尺度下分析了边坡防渗对灰沙岛淡水透镜体形成的影响,评估了不同因素在边坡防渗条件下增加地下淡水储量的效果,并以永兴岛为例定量评估了边坡防渗对地下淡水储量的影响。研究表明,边坡防渗通过改变地下水流场、增加淡水水头的方式增加了淡水储量。淡水体所需的稳定时间随之增加。在长、宽、高分别为50,5,35 cm的砂箱中,在35°的边坡处铺设14 cm长的隔水材料,淡水透镜体达到稳定后最大厚度由原有的13.7 cm增加至24.9 cm,淡水储量由561.8 cm3增加至1 592.3 cm3,所需稳定时间由120 min增加至150 min。增加的淡水储量随降雨强度增加、砂体渗透系数减小、边坡防渗深度增加、防渗材料渗透系数减小而增加。若在永兴岛海陆边坡铺设2 m深的隔水材料,在未来30...     

滨海盐碱地区包气带中淡水透镜体维持机理

大气降水是滨海盐碱地区浅层地下水的重要补给来源。滨海地区浅层地下水多为咸水且埋藏较浅,在不同包气带岩性渗透性差异下,在大气降水入渗补给过程中,一定时间内潜水面以上一定范围内存在淡水分布,即淡水透镜体,它能局部隔离地下咸水对上层土壤和植物的危害,并在一定程度上供给植物吸收利用。采用自制的室内物理模拟装置,通过控制土层结构,模拟了大气降水入渗补给条件下包气带中淡水透镜体的形成与消退过程,探讨了不同土壤类型中淡水透镜体的维持情况;并利用吸水管模拟客土上所种植物根系吸水,研究了不同吸水量条件下土壤中淡水透镜体的变化规律。结果表明:上层中砂、底层粉砂质黏土的双层土体结构中,淡水透镜体的维持性最好,在降水入渗补给条件下,透镜体形成时间在1500 min左右可达最大厚度(约15 cm),若补给源消失,透镜体完全消退需7500 min,能较长时间地阻隔地下咸水;双层土中模拟形成的稳定淡水透镜体在无补给条件下,能够隔离地下咸水的同时亦能为上层植物提供243.5 mL淡水资源。     

Modelling the response of fresh groundwater to climate and vegetation changes in coral islands

In coral islands, groundwater is a crucial freshwater resource for terrestrial life, including human water supply. Response of the freshwater lens to expected climate changes and subsequent vegetation alterations is quantified for Grande Glorieuse, a low-lying coral island in the Western Indian Ocean. Distributed models of recharge, evapotranspiration and saltwater phytotoxicity are integrated into a variable-density groundwater model to simulate the evolution of groundwater salinity. Model results are assessed against field observations including groundwater and geophysical measurements. Simulations show the major control currently exerted by the vegetation with regards to the lens morphology and the high sensitivity of the lens to climate alterations, impacting both quantity and salinity. Long-term changes in mean sea level and climatic conditions (rainfall and evapotranspiration) are predicted to be responsible for an average increase in salinity approaching 140 % (+8 kg m^?3) when combined. In low-lying areas with high vegetation density, these changes top +300 % (+10 kg m^?3). However, due to salinity increase and its phytotoxicity, it is shown that a corollary drop in vegetation activity can buffer the alteration of fresh groundwater. This illustrates the importance of accounting for vegetation dynamics to study groundwater in coral islands.     

Occurrence of salt water above fresh water in dynamic equilibrium in a coastal groundwater flow system near De Panne, Belgium

A salt water lens is found above fresh water under the shore between Dunkerque (France) and Nieuwpoort (Belgium). This inverse density distribution is in a dynamic equilibrium. It develops due to the infiltration of salt water on the back shore during high tide. Under this salt water lens, water infiltrated in the adjacent dune area flows towards the sea and discharges at the seabed. This water quality distribution differs from the classic salt water wedge under fresh water described in the literature. Here, the evolution to this water quality distribution is simulated with a density dependent numerical model. A large tidal range, shore morphology and a permeable groundwater reservoir are the main conditions for the observed water quality distribution. By altering these conditions, intermediate water quality distributions between the classic salt water wedge and the one discussed here develop. Based on these simulations, it is expected that similar kinds of inverse density distribution could be present in a number of coastal areas, which have tides, a gently sloping shore and a permeable substratum.     

Groundwater mixing in a sand-island freshwater lens: density-dependent flow and stratigraphic controls

This paper focuses on a small back-barrier sand-island on the southeast coast of Queensland. The freshwater lens in the study area exhibits anomalously high short-range salinity gradients at shallow depths, which cannot be explained using a standard seawater intrusion model. The island groundwater system consists of two aquifers: a semiconfined aquifer hosting saline to hypersaline groundwater and an overlying unconfined freshwater aquifer. The deeper aquifer is semiconfined within an incised paleovalley, and groundwater flow is restricted to an east – west direction. Tidal response observations show that the tidal signal propagates far more rapidly and is of much higher magnitude in the semiconfined aquifer than the unconfined aquifer. The tidal wave-pulse amplitude is also subject to greater attenuation in the unconfined aquifer. A conceptual hydrogeological model illustrates how upwelling of hypersaline groundwater, induced by density-dependent flow and tidal pumping, has contaminated the shallow groundwater resource. Salinisation at shallow depths is restricted to an area proximal to the paleovalley aquifer. The spatial distribution of lithological heterogeneity is an initial limiting control on the movement of the upwelling saline plume. The extent of shallow groundwater contamination is also limited by the presence of a baroclinic field, resulting from lateral variations in fluid density. Hydrochemical signatures have been used to support the model hypothesis and link the salinisation of fresh groundwater with the semiconfined aquifer as opposed to the surrounding estuarine surface water. The geometry and thickness of the freshwater lens are further controlled by the presence of the largely impermeable bedrock paleosurface between 9 and 12 m depth. The combination of hypersaline groundwater and hydraulically restrictive lithology at shallow depths has produced excessive thinning of the freshwater lens, demonstrating that the application of a model such as the Dupuit – Ghyben – Herzberg relationship would grossly overestimate the available groundwater resource.     

Groundwater occurrence on Jeju Island, Korea

Jeju Island is a volcanic island composed predominantly of permeable basalts. The island is poor in surface water but abundant in groundwater. No actual perennial streams exist and the water resources on the island are dependent almost entirely on groundwater. The groundwater bodies on the island are classified into three general categories: high level, basal and parabasal groundwaters. The parabasal groundwater is further subdivided into lower and upper parabasal groundwaters due to the position of the Seogwipo Formation, which is made up of sedimentary rocks with a low permeability. The distribution of each groundwater type was evaluated through analyses of the spatial distribution of the Seogwipo Formation and the hydraulic gradient of the groundwater. Basal groundwater emerges extensively along the coast of the eastern sector, less commonly along the coast of the western sector. Parabasal groundwater occurs extensively over most of the island except for the southern sector, where it occurs only locally in the coastal area. This paper presents a summary of several studies on the occurrence and features of groundwater resources on Jeju Island, the largest island in Korea.     

Arsenic Distribution Pattern in Different Sources of Drinking Water and their Geological Background in Guanzhong Basin,Shaanxi, China

To study arsenic(As) content and distribution patterns as well as the genesis of different kinds of water, especially the different sources of drinking water in Guanzhong Basin, Shaanxi province, China, 139 water samples were collected at 62 sampling points from wells of different depths, from hot springs, and rivers. The As content of these samples was measured by the intermittent flowhydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry method(HG-AFS). The As concentrations in the drinking water in Guanzhong Basin vary greatly(0.00–68.08 μg/L), and the As concentration of groundwater in southern Guanzhong Basin is different from that in the northern Guanzhong Basin. Even within the same location in southern Guanzhong Basin, the As concentrations at different depths vary greatly. As concentration of groundwater from the shallow wells(50 m deep, 0.56–3.87 μg/L) is much lower than from deep wells(110–360 m deep, 19.34–62.91 μg/L), whereas As concentration in water of any depth in northern Guanzhong Basin is 10 μg/L. Southern Guanzhong Basin is a newly discovered high-As groundwater area in China. The high-As groundwater is mainly distributed in areas between the Qinling Mountains and Weihe River; it has only been found at depths ranging from 110 to 360 m in confined aquifers, which store water in the Lishi and Wucheng Loess(Lower and Middle Pleistocene) in the southern Guanzhong Basin. As concentration of hot spring water is 6.47–11.94 μg/L; that of geothermal water between 1000 and 1500 m deep is 43.68–68.08 μg/L. The high-As well water at depths from 110 to 360 m in southern Guanzhong Basin has a very low fluorine(F) value, which is generally 0.10 mg/L. Otherwise, the hot springs of Lintong and Tangyu and the geothermal water in southern Guanzhong Basin have very high F values(8.07–14.96 mg/L). The results indicate that highAs groundwater in depths from 110 to 360 m is unlikely to have a direct relationship with the geothermal water in the same area. As concentration of all reservoirs and rivers(both contaminated and uncontaminated) in the Guanzhong Basin is 10 μg/L. This shows that pollution in the surface water is not the source of the high-As in the southern Guanzhong Basin. The partition boundaries of the high- and low-As groundwater area corresponds to the partition boundaries of the tectonic units in the Guanzhong Basin. This probably indicates that the high-As groundwater areas can be correlated to their geological underpinning and structural framework. In southern Guanzhong Basin, the main sources of drinking water for villages and small towns today are wells between 110–360 m deep. All of their As contents exceed the limit of the Chinese National Standard and the International Standard(10 μg/L) and so local residents should use other sources of clean water that are 50 m deep, instead of deep groundwater(110 to 360 m) for their drinking water supply.     

Numerical analysis of the hydrogeologic controls in a layered coastal aquifer system, Oahu, Hawaii, USA

 The coastal aquifer system of southern Oahu, Hawaii, USA, consists of highly permeable volcanic aquifers overlain by weathered volcanic rocks and interbedded marine and terrestrial sediments of both high and low permeability. The weathered volcanic rocks and sediments are collectively known as caprock, because they impede the free discharge of groundwater from the underlying volcanic aquifers. A cross-sectional groundwater flow and transport model was used to evaluate the hydrogeologic controls on the regional flow system in southwestern Oahu. Controls considered were: (a) overall caprock hydraulic conductivity; and (b) stratigraphic variations of hydraulic conductivity in the caprock. Within the caprock, variations in hydraulic conductivity, caused by stratigraphy or discontinuities of the stratigraphic units, are a major control on the direction of groundwater flow and the distribution of water levels and salinity. Results of cross-sectional modeling confirm the general groundwater flow pattern that would be expected in a layered coastal system. Groundwater flow is: (a) predominantly upward in the low-permeability sedimentary units; and (b) predominantly horizontal in the high-permeability sedimentary units. Received, October 1996 Revised, August 1997 Accepted, September 1997     

Conceptual hydrogeological model of volcanic Easter Island (Chile) after chemical and isotopic surveys

Most human activities and hydrogeological information on small young volcanic islands are near the coastal area. There are almost no hydrological data from inland areas, where permanent springs and/or boreholes may be rare or nonexistent. A major concern is the excessive salinity of near-the-coast wells. Obtaining a conceptual hydrogeological model is crucial for groundwater resources development and management. Surveys of water seepages and rain for chemical and environmental isotope contents may provide information on the whole island groundwater flow conditions, in spite of remaining geological and hydrogeological uncertainties. New data from Easter Island (Isla de Pascua), in the Pacific Ocean, are considered. Whether Easter Island has a central low permeability volcanic “core” sustaining an elevated water table remains unknown. Average recharge is estimated at 300–400 mm/year, with a low salinity of 15–50 mg/L Cl. There is an apron of highly permeable volcanics that extends to the coast. The salinity of near-the-coast wells, >1,000 mg/L Cl, is marine in origin. This is the result of a thick mixing zone of island groundwater and encroached seawater, locally enhanced by upconings below pumping wells. This conceptual model explains what is observed, in the absence of inland boreholes and springs.     

Functioning of a coastal karstic system with a submarine outlet,in southern Spain

A conceptual model of the functioning of a complex coastal karst aquifer in southern Spain is presented. The system has well developed conduits below sea level and is connected to the Mediterranean Sea. It discharges through two conduits 12 m below sea level, 20 km apart. The Moraig conduit is the main outlet; the discharge to the sea is brackish. The Toix conduit only discharges to the sea during heavy floods and lets in seawater the rest of the time. During the 1999–2000 hydrological year, both conduits were monitored by flowmeters and electrical conductivity-temperature probes. On the basis of the collected data, the hydrological relationship between the functioning of the system and the sea was characterised. The conceptual model assumes the existence of a huge reservoir called an “aquifer reservoir” which is supplied by (1) freshwater from rainfall and (2) seawater flowing into the Toix conduit. In addition, during heavy rainfall events, fast infiltration brings considerable amounts of freshwater into the Moraig conduit. This is typical of a “by-pass” mechanism. Salinity and flow rates were simulated with the use of a rainfall-discharge and a rainfall-salinity model. The simulation of flow and salinity time series can be used for water management purposes.     

Groundwater salinization of the Sfax superficial aquifer,Tunisia

Groundwater salinization has become a crucial environmental problem worldwide and is considered the most widespread form of groundwater contamination. The origin of salinity in the coastal aquifer of the Sfax Basin, Tunisia was investigated by means of chemical analyses of groundwater samples from 65 wells. The groundwater samples present a clear gradation from calcium sulphate salinization to that of sodium chloride. The saturation indices for calcite and gypsum, and binary diagrams of different ions, together with multivariate analysis, indicate the existence of various salinization processes such as: dissolution of gypsum and calcite dispersed through the reservoir rock; ion exchange; intensive agricultural practices that produce effluents that infiltrate to the saturated zone; and sea-water intrusion, enhanced by excessive withdrawal of groundwater.     

乌鲁木齐河流域北部平原地下水流模拟

本文运用数字水文地质概念模型的方法建立了乌鲁木齐河流域北部平原的地下水流模型,并用流量边界与柴窝堡盆地和河谷区的地下水流模型相接,构成一个统一的流域地下水模型,为乌鲁木齐河流域水资源整体规划利用提供了模拟分析工具。北部平原的南部倾斜平原为砂卵砾石组成的大厚度潜水含水层,北部细土平原为多层结构。地下水总体上由南向北径流,天然状态下在交界地带溢出成泉或流入沙漠。目前,地下水循环基本上由人为控制。农田灌溉回归补给量与河流和山前侧向补给量持平;而开采量已是绝对的排泄量。季节性开采造成地下水位季节性大幅度变化。水位的下降使蒸发蒸腾量减少,减轻了由于灌溉造成的土壤盐碱化问题。     

基于珊瑚礁岛分区分层的淡水形成过程研究

为了探究土的分层特征对珊瑚礁岛下淡水透镜体形成的意义,在南海某珊瑚礁岛采用钻孔取样,分析每个钻孔不同层位样品的粒度。根据水平和垂直方向上的粒度特征,确定岛的水平分区和垂直分层;根据每个钻孔所代表的范围,确定每个水平分区的面积;根据每个钻孔中不同颗粒级配的样品所代表的厚度,确定每个垂直分层厚度。礁灰岩以上松散层的不同分区和分层的颗粒级配控制地层的渗透性,垂直和水平方向的渗透性特征控制淡水透镜体形成的难度、淡水透镜体的总厚度以及过渡带的厚度。根据岛的总面积和垂直分层数建立数值模型,得到不同时间、不同水平位置和垂直深度的地下水浓度特征的模拟结果。