Submarine groundwater discharge into the sea and associated nutrient transport in a sandy beach

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGWD) and associated nutrient fluxes at Hasaki Beach along the Kashima coast in Japan were investigated through field measurements and numerical simulations. The field data indicate that (1) groundwater has higher concentrations of land-derived nutrients than seawater and river water; (2) microbial activity near the shoreline is likely to induce mineralization, reduction, and oxidation of nitrogen and phosphorus; and (3) in the portion of the aquifer underlying coastal forest, nitrate is appreciably reduced. A numerical model incorporating effects of water table and tidal fluctuations was developed to evaluate SGWD. Assuming that the aquifer consists of homogeneous sandy soil, the simulation results show that the nutrient flux due to SGWD is less than that of Tone River discharge. The nutrient flux via groundwater seepage is considered to be a minor component of primary productivity in the surf zone.