Time-lapse resistivity investigations for imaging saltwater transport in glaciofluvial deposits

Five intersecting resistivity sections have been measured in glaciofluvial deposits hosting an aquifer of regional importance situated along a heavy traffic highway in Sweden. The winter salt spreading has caused a regular salinity increase through the years. For imaging the transport of saltwater in the aquifer, the sections were measured exactly in the same location before and after winter, and interpreted using a time-lapse inverse procedure. Some auger drilling and RCPT data were available for correlation. After winter, the resistivity had generally decreased under the water table and increased above it. The decrease in resistivity in the saturated zone is interpreted as a plume of more saline groundwater created by de-icing salt from the road. The increase in the upper layer can be explained by changes in temperature and soil moisture. The study shows that time-lapse resistivity investigations has potential for imaging hydraulic pathways in complex hydrogeological environments.     

Salinization properties of a shallow groundwater in a coastal reclaimed area,Yeonggwang, Korea

The need for more agricultural or residential land has encouraged reclamation at the coastal areas of Korea since 1200 ad (approximately). The groundwaters of these reclaimed areas could be expected to reveal hydrogeochemical properties different from those of areas directly affected by seawater intrusion. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the salinization of shallow groundwater in a coastal reclaimed area and to identify the effect of land reclamation on groundwater quality. Major cations and anions, iodide, total organic carbon, δD, δ ¹⁸O and δ ¹³C were measured to assist the hydrogeochemical analysis. Chloride, δD and δ ¹⁸O data clearly show that the Na–Cl type water results from mixing of groundwater with seawater. In particular, the δD and δ ¹⁸O of Ca+Mg–Cl+NO₃ type groundwaters are close to the meteoric water line, but Na–Cl type waters enriched in chloride are ¹⁸O-enriched with respect to the meteoric water line. Meanwhile, carbon isotopic data and I/Cl ratios strongly suggest that there are various sources of salinity. The δ ¹³C values of Na–Cl type groundwaters are generally similar to those of Ca+Mg–Cl+NO₃ type waters, which are depleted in ¹³C with respect to seawater. I/Cl ratios of Na–Cl type groundwater are 10–100 times higher than that of seawater. Because the reclamation has incorporated a large amount of organic matter, it provides optimum conditions for the occurrence of redox processes in the groundwater system. Therefore, the salinization of groundwater in the study area seems to be controlled not only by saltwater intrusion but also by other effects, such as those caused by residual salts and organic matter in the reclaimed sediments.     

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.     

Application of brine differentiation and Langelier–Ludwig plots to fresh-to-brine waters from sedimentary basins: Diagnostic potentials and limits

Classical chemical classification plots that use major anions and cations can discern between different water facies but they do not offer sufficient discriminatory power for salt waters from sedimentary basins, whose origin is therefore frequently misunderstood.     

Hydrogeochemical analysis of salinization processes in the coastal aquifer of Oropesa (Castellón, Spain)

 The coastal aquifer of Oropesa is affected by salinization processes undoubtedly associated with intense groundwater exploitation for agriculture supply. The aquifer corresponds geologically to a tectonic depression with Plioquaternary fill. Hydrogeologically, this aquifer is detrital, with intergranular porosity, which receives substantial recharge from adjacent Mesozoic aquifers. Contact with the sea, in addition to the presence of cultivated soil requiring extreme exploitation of groundwater, frequently give rise to processes of seawater intrusion. The present research is an attempt to understand the saltwater intrusion in this aquifer, using hydrochemical analyses of the behavior of certain minor ions that could help in the characterization process. In the case of the Oropesa sector, groundwater salinization does not appear to be attributable solely to the intrusion of seawater, but there are also anomalies related largely to the geology of the sector and its surroundings, the type of recharge, the hydrodynamic conditions in the specific area, etc. Received: 23 January 1995 · Accepted: 12 September 1995     

Recharge and salination processes in the carbonate aquifers in Israel

Limestone and dolostone aquifers play a major role in the water supply system of Israel. In many cases, there are brackish to saline springs at their outlets. The source of the saline water and the mechanism of salinization differ from place to place. In some cases, it is due to mixing with seawater (Mediterranean or Dead Sea) at the fresh-saline water interface, while in other cases deepseated brines emerge along regional faults. The general policy for reclaiming the fresh component of the water before mixing with the saline component is to try to catch the fresh water as far as possible upstream from the outlet. In most cases, this is the area where the mixing takes place. The main case histories in Israel are discussed in this paper.     

Salinization in coastal aquifers of arid zones: an example from Santo Domingo,Baja California Sur,Mexico

Groundwater quality in the Santo Domingo Irrigation District area in Baja California Sur, Mexico, indicates the presence of various salinization processes, (1) the geological matter of marine origin comprising the aquifer material suffers diagenetic effects due to its interaction with groundwater of low salinity, (2) the effects of intensive agriculture practices produce effluents that infiltrate to the saturated zone, and (3) the extraction of groundwater causes modifications in the natural flow system induces lateral flow of seawater from the coast line. However, groundwater management has been carried out with the belief that the latter is the main source of salinization. This has resulted in a policy of installing wells increasingly far from the coast, which is not solving the problem. Irrigation-return and seawater that remains in the geological units have been identified as major sources of salinization. Controls should be imposed when installing wells in contact with clayey units that form the base of the aquifer. Extracted groundwater consists of a mixture of (1) groundwater of relatively low salinity that circulates in the aquifer and (2) an extreme member with salinity different to seawater contained mainly in formations that have low permeability, which limits the aquifer underneath. The geochemistry of carbonates and cation-exchange reactions (both direct and reverse) control the concentration of Ca, Mg, Na, and HCO₃, as well as pH values. The concentrations of dissolved trace elements (F, Li, Ba, Sr) suggest that the extreme saline member is different from the average seawater composition. A distinction between the salinization caused by farming practices and that blamed on seawater is defined by the use of NO₃.     

The origin of increased salinity in the Cambrian-Vendian aquifer system on the Kopli Peninsula,northern Estonia

Monitoring of the confined Cambrian-Vendian aquifer system utilised for industrial water supply at Kopli Peninsula in Tallinn over 24 years reveals remarkable changes in chemical composition of groundwater. A relatively fast 1.5 to 3.0-fold increase in TDS and in concentrations of major ions in abstracted groundwater is the consequence of heavy pumping. The main sources of dissolved load in Cambrian-Vendian groundwater are the leaching of host rock and the other geochemical processes that occur in the saturated zone. Underlying crystalline basement, which comprises saline groundwater in its upper weathered and fissured portion, and which is hydraulically connected with the overlying Cambrian-Vendian aquifer system, is the second important source of ions. The fractured basement and its clayey weathering crust host the Ca-Cl type groundwater, which is characterised by high TDS values (2–20 g/L). Intensive water abstraction accelerates the exchange of groundwaters and increases the area of influence of pumping. Chemical and isotopic studies of groundwater indicate an increasing contribution of old brackish water from the crystalline basement and rule out the potential implication of an intrusion of seawater into aquifer.

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Resumen El origen del incremento en salinidad en un sistema de acuíferos Cámbrico-Vendiano en la Península Kopli, norte de EstonieMonitoreo a largo plazo de un sistema de acuíferos confinados, de edad Cámbrico-Vendiano, que se utiliza como fuente de abastecimiento industrial en la Península Kopli, al norte de Estonie, revela cambios notables en la composición química del agua subterránea. Un incremento de 1.5 a 3 veces en TDS y en concentraciones de iones mayores en agua subterránea explotada ha sido ocasionado por bombeo fuerte. Las fuentes principales de carga disuelta en el agua subterránea Cámbrico-Vendiano son la lixiviación de la roca encajonante y los procesos geoquímicos que ocurren en la zona saturada. Basamento cristalino subyacente, que aloja agua subterránea salada en la parte superior intemperizada y fisurada, y está conectado hidráulicamente con el sistema acuífero Cámbrico-Vendiano sobreyacente, es la segunda fuente importante de iones. El basamento fracturado y su corteza de intemperismo arcillosa alojan agua subterránea de tipo Ca-Cl la cual se caracteriza por valores altos de TDS (2–20 g/l). Debido a extracción intensiva se ha acelerado el intercambio de agua subterránea y se ha incrementado el área de influencia del bombeo. Los estudios químicos e isotópicos de agua subterránea indican una contribución creciente por filtración derivada del basamento cristalino. Es evidente una intrusión de agua salada hacia el sistema de acuíferos con implicaciones subsecuentes para la calidad del agua.

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Résumé Lorigine de la salinité croissante dans le système aquifère du Cambrien-Vendien dans la péninsule de Kopli, nord de lEstonieLe suivi à long terme du système aquifère captif du Cambrien-Vendien utilisé pour lapprovisionnement deaux industrielles dans la Péninsule de Kopli, nord de lEstonie, révèle de remarquables changements dans la composition chimique des eaux souterraines. Une augmentation de facteur 1.5 à 3 de la TDS et des concentrations en ions majeurs dans leau souterraine est la conséquence de pompages intensifs. Les sources principales des charges dissoutes dans les eaux de laquifère du Cambrien-Vendien sont le lessivage des roches et dautres phénomènes géochimiques ayant lieu dans la zone saturée. Le soubassement rocheux cristallin, qui renferme des eaux souterraines salines dans sa partie supérieure altérée et fissurée, et est hydrauliquement connecté avec laquifère supérieur du Cambrien-Vendien, est la deuxième importante source dions. Le soubassement fracturé et le matériel argileux de laltération, renferme leau souterraine de type Ca-Cl, caractérisée par un haut TDS (2–20 g/l). A cause de la mobilisation intensive de leau les échanges deau souterraine est sont accélérés et la zone dinfluence des pompages augmentent. Les études chimiques et isotopiques indiquent une contribution croissante du drainage des eaux du soubassement cristallin. Lintrusion deaux salées de la mer dans le système aquifère nest pas un phénomène évident.

     

Towards a policy for sustainable use of groundwater by non-governmental organisations in Afghanistan

A 'first pass' groundwater management policy has been developed for use by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Afghanistan, designed to prevent derogation of existing traditional water sources, aquifer over-abstraction and chemical deterioration of soil and groundwater quality. Key elements include (1) continuing promotion of groundwater as a drinking water source, (2) a presumption against use of motorised pumps to abstract groundwater for irrigation unless other options (surface water, qanats) are not available, (3) the use of groundwater for irrigation as a temporary alternative to surface water (i.e. a strategy for drought survival) rather than as a long-term development policy, (4) limiting groundwater abstraction to a long-term average of 1 l s^–1 km^–2, (5) siting irrigation wells at least 500 m from other groundwater sources and (6) analysing irrigation groundwater for electrical conductivity, sodium absorption ratio, boron and residual sodium carbonate alkalinity. Analyses of these parameters indicate that groundwater from some areas is of dubious suitability for irrigation. In some villages and towns, groundwater contains elevated nitrate and faecal bacteria concentrations, probably derived from latrines, sewage or animal wastes. Electronic Publication     

Rainfall and irrigation controls on groundwater rise and salinity risk in the Ord River Irrigation Area,northern Australia

Groundwater beneath the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) in northern Australia has risen in elevation by 10–20 m during the past 40 years with attendant concerns about water logging and soil salinization. Persistent groundwater accession has been attributed to excessive irrigation and surface water leakage; however, analysis of daily water-table records from the past 10 years yielded a contrary result. On a seasonal basis, water-table elevation typically fell during irrigation (dry) seasons and rose during fallow (wet) seasons, conflicting with the conventional view that irrigation and not rainfall must be the dominant control on groundwater accession. Previous investigations of unexpectedly large infiltration losses through the cracking clay soils provide a plausible explanation for the apparent conundrum. Because rainfall is uncontrolled and occurs independently of the soil moisture condition, there is greater opportunity for incipient ponding and rapid infiltration through preferred flow pathways. In contrast, irrigation is scheduled when needed and applications are stopped after soil wetting is achieved. Contemporary groundwater management in the ORIA is focused on improving irrigation efficiency during dry seasons but additional opportunities may exist to improve groundwater conditions and salinity risk through giving equal attention to the wet-season water balance.