Flow Characteristics through Granular Soil Influenced by Saline Water Intrusion: A Laboratory Investigation

The coastal geoenvironment initiates saline water intrusion into the freshwater aquifers, producing a geohydraulic problem. Such intrusion not only contaminates the fresh groundwater resources, making them unsuitable for human use, but also alters the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer materials, which affects the coastal groundwater flow, influencing the water resources planning and management. Past investigations reveal that the groundwater flow can be linear or nonlinear depending upon the hydraulic gradient. Thus, the coefficients of nonlinear hydraulic conductivities are affected by saltwater intrusion. The present study focuses on an in-depth laboratory investigation into the influence of saltwater submergence on the nonlinear flow characteristics through granular soil. The fine sand samples have been submerged under saline water of specified concentrations for a specific duration, and the alteration in their nonlinear geohydraulic properties has been studied. It is observed that the flow characteristics through fine sand are significantly affected by the period of submergence and saline concentration. Appropriate analyses of the test results are performed to interpret the experimental data, and relevant conclusions are drawn therefrom. The novelty of this study is an in-depth analysis of nonlinear flow characterization affected saline water intrusion.

Automated summary

Coastal geoenvironment initiates saline water intrusion into freshwater aquifers, leading to a geohydraulic problem that contaminates fresh groundwater resources and alters hydraulic conductivity. This study focuses on the influence of saltwater submergence on nonlinear flow characteristics through granular soil. The research provides an in-depth analysis of the effects of saline water intrusion on nonlinear flow behavior.