Laboratory-scale investigation of saltwater intrusion dynamics

Experiments were completed in a laboratory-scale, porous media tank to study the transport patterns of a saltwater wedge in a freshwater aquifer. Three types of experiments were performed to develop: ( 1) steady state salt-wedge data observed under different hydraulic gradient conditions; ( 2) transient salt-wedge data observed under intruding-wedge conditions; and ( 3) transient salt-wedge data observed under receding-wedge conditions. Furthermore, flux measurements were made to quantify the flow characteristics of three distinct steady state experiments. The saltwater intrusion model SEAWAT was used to simulate these data sets. The model results along with the experimental data are presented as benchmark problems for testing density-coupled groundwater flow models. A worthiness analysis was completed to test the sensitivity of these experimental problems to density-coupling effects. The results of our analysis show that the proposed benchmark is a more robust alternative to the traditional Henry problem. These new experimental data sets can be used to assess the performance of saltwater intrusion models under both steady state and transient conditions.