Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY
Volume 57, Issue 1, Pages 119-130Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00254-008-1288-y
Keywords
Seawater intrusion; Groundwater modeling; SEAWAT; Density-dependent flow; Alabama Gulf Coast
Funding
- Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Lands Division
- [NA 17OZ2324]
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A numerical model of variable-density groundwater flow and miscible salt transport is developed to investigate the extent of seawater intrusion in the Gulf coast aquifers of Alabama, USA. The SEAWAT code is used to solve the density-dependent groundwater flow and solute transport governing equations. The numerical model is calibrated against the observed hydraulic heads measured in 1996 by adjusting the zonation and values of hydraulic conductivity and recharge rate. Using the calibrated model and assuming all the hydrogeologic conditions remain the same as those in 1996, a predictive 40-year simulation run indicates that further seawater intrusion into the coastal aquifers can occur in the study area. Moreover, the predicted intrusion may be more significant in the deeper aquifer than the shallower ones. As the population continues to grow and the demand for groundwater pumping intensifies beyond the 1996 level, it can be expected that the actual extent of seawater intrusion in the future would be more severe than the model prediction. Better strategies for groundwater development and management will be necessary to protect the freshwater aquifers from contamination by seawater intrusion.
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