A modeling study of seawater intrusion in Alabama Gulf Coast,USA |
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Authors: | Jin Lin J Blake Snodsmith Chunmiao Zheng Jianfeng Wu |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China;(2) CH2M Hill, Montgomery, AL 36106, USA;(3) Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA;(4) Department of Hydrosciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China |
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Abstract: | 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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Keywords: | Seawater intrusion Groundwater modeling SEAWAT Density-dependent flow Alabama Gulf Coast |
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