Effects of aquifer geometry on seawater intrusion in annulus segment island aquifers

Seawater intrusion in island aquifers was considered analytically, specifically for annulus segment aquifers (ASAs), i.e., aquifers that (in plan) have the shape of an annulus segment. Based on the Ghijben–Herzberg and hillslope-storage Boussinesq equations, analytical solutions were derived for steady-state seawater intrusion in ASAs, with a focus on the freshwater–seawater interface and its corresponding watertable elevation. Predictions of the analytical solutions compared well with experimental data, and so they were employed to investigate the effects of aquifer geometry on seawater intrusion in island aquifers. Three different ASA geometries were compared: convergent (smaller side is facing the lagoon, larger side is the internal no-flow boundary and flow converges towards the lagoon), rectangular and divergent (smaller side is the internal no-flow boundary, larger side is facing the sea and flow diverges towards the sea). Depending on the aquifer geometry, seawater intrusion was found to vary greatly, such that the assumption of a rectangular aquifer to model an ASA can lead to poor estimates of seawater intrusion. Other factors being equal, compared with rectangular aquifers, seawater intrusion is more extensive, and watertable elevation is lower in divergent aquifers, with the opposite tendency in convergent aquifers. Sensitivity analysis further indicated that the effects of aquifer geometry on seawater intrusion and watertable elevation vary with aquifer width and distance from the circle center to the inner arc (the lagoon boundary for convergent aquifers or the internal no-flow boundary for divergent aquifers). A larger aquifer width and distance from the circle center to the inner arc weaken the effects of aquifer geometry, and hence differences in predictions for the three geometries become less pronounced.

Usefulness of Compiled Geophysical Prospecting Surveys in Groundwater Research in the Metropolitan District of Quito in Northern Ecuador

As in other large Andean cities, the population in the Metropolitan District of Quito (MDQ) in northern Ecuador is growing, and groundwater is becoming essential to meet the increasing urban water demand. Quito’s Public Water Supply Company (EPMAPS) is promoting groundwater research for sustainable water supply, and geophysical prospecting surveys are used to define aquifer geometry and certain transient groundwater features. This paper examines the usefulness of existing geophysical prospecting surveys in groundwater research in the MDQ. A database was built using 23 representative geophysical prospecting surveys compiled from EPMAPS’ public repository, official geotechnical research reports, and the scientific literature. Fifteen EPMAPS-promoted surveys used near-surface electrical techniques (seven used electrical resistivity tomography and eight used vertical electrical sounding) to explore Holocene and Pleistocene sedimentary and volcano-sedimentary formations in the 25–500-m prospecting depth range, some of which form shallow aquifers used for water supply. Four other surveys used near-surface seismic techniques (refraction microtremor) for geotechnical research in civil works. These surveys have been reinterpreted to define shallow aquifer geometry. Finally, four surveys compiled from the scientific literature used electromagnetic techniques (magnetotelluric sounding and other very low-frequency methods) to explore Holocene to late Pliocene formations, some of which form thick regional aquifers catalogued as the larger freshwater reservoirs in the MDQ. However, no geophysical prospecting surveys exploring the complete saturated thickness of the Pliocene aquifers could be compiled. Geophysical prospecting surveys with greater penetration depth are proposed to bridge this research gap, which prevents the accurate assessment of the renewable groundwater fraction of the regional aquifers in the MDQ that can be exploited sustainably.

Hydrostratigraphy And Aquifer Geometry In Palu Groundwater Basin, Central Sulawesi Province After Earthquake

Palu Groundwater Basin can be assumed to have a post-earthquake deformation in 2018. To identify current state of Palu Groundwater Basin, modeling approach was conducted using GMS 10.4 (Groundwater Modeling System) with IDW (Inverse Distance Weighting), with the data used for the model was obtained from 41 boreholes. The results show that Palu Groundwater Basin aquifer geometry can be divided into 4 types. The unconfined aquifer consisting of Alluvium and Coastal Deposits (Qa) have an area 412,69 km², with 17,77 - 72.48 m thickness top layer have elevation 341 MSL (mean sea level) and bottom layer have elevation -2,29 MSL. Top aquitard consisting of Celebes Mollase of Sarasin and Sarasin (QTms) have an area 391,1 km² with 0.1 - 20,61 mm thickness top layer have elevation 268,52 MSL and the bottom of layer have elevation -20,06 MSL. Confined aquifer consisting of Celebes Mollase of Sarasin and Sarasin (QTms) have an area 351,98 km² with 20,58 - 86,51 m thickness top layer have elevation 268,42 MSL and bottom layer have elevation -40,67 msl. Bottom aquitard consisting of Granite and Granodiorite (Tmpi), Tinombo Formation (Tts), Metamorphic Complex (Km), Latimojong Formation (Kls) have an area 78,24 km² with 20,58 - 86,51 m thickness 3,01 - 4,1 m top layer have elevation 181,91 MSL and bottom layer have elevation -29,09 MSLKeywords: Groundwater, basin, modeling, geometry, aquifer

Effects of aquifer geometry on seawater intrusion in annulus segment island aquifers

Seawater intrusion in island aquifers is considered analytically, specifically for annulus segment aquifers (ASAs), i.e., aquifers that (in plan) have the shape of an annulus segment. Based on the Ghijben-Herzberg and hillslope-storage Boussinesq equations, analytical solutions are derived for steady-state seawater intrusion for ASAs, with a focus on the freshwater-seawater interface and its corresponding watertable elevation. These analytical solutions, after comparing their predictions with experimental data, are employed to investigate the effects of aquifer geometry on seawater intrusion in island aquifers. Three different geometries of ASA are compared: convergent (smaller side facing the lagoon), rectangular and divergent (larger side facing the sea). The results show that the predictions from the analytical solutions are in well agreement with the experimental data for both recharge events. In addition, seawater intrusion is most extensive in divergent aquifers, and conversely for convergent aquifers. Accordingly, the watertable elevation is lowest in divergent aquifers and highest in convergent aquifers. Moreover, the effects of aquifer geometry on the freshwater-seawater interface and watertable elevation vary with aquifer width and distance to the no-flow boundary. Both a larger aquifer width and distance to the no-flow boundary weaken the effects of aquifer geometry and hence lead to a smaller deviation of seawater intrusion between the three geometries.

Grain Size and Heavy Minerals Analysis of Maastrichtian Sandstone, Anambra Basin, Nigeria: Implication for Aquifer Properties

The Maastrichtian sediments of Anambra Basin, south western Nigeria was studied for grain characteristics and maturity of the sediments, so that by combining sedimentological characteristics, maturity and its paleoenvironment of deposition of the Ajali sandstone, in order to ascertain the aquifer properties of the groundwater within the study area and by extension the availability of drinking water for both the urban and rural settlers. Grain size analysis (51 samples) and heavy mineral analysis (15 samples each) were analyzed. The textural parameters show that the Sandstone are medium sand, poorly to moderately sorted, coarse to strongly coarse skewed with mesokurtic to leptokurtic grains. The heavy minerals present in lithologic sand and sandstone units of Ajali Formation are mainly zircon, rutile, tourmaline, apatite, staurolite, and opaque minerals (Goethite, hematite, ilmenite), these heavy minerals found in the sandstone are associated with igneous and metamorphic source which indicates that these maastritchian sediments are from basement complex rock The ZTR index of 67.96% and the values of the kurtosis indicates a sub-mature sandstone to mature sandstone, which gives an excellent aquifer properties. Also, the paleoenvironment of deposition of the Maastrichtian sediments is Fluvial. The sand and sandstone bodies deposited in a fluvial system have sheet-like geometries and due to the differences in the extent of aquifer compartmentalization, Sandstone deposited in fluvial environment normally has better hydraulic conductivity which again reveals a good aquifer property. The sedimentological characteristics for the Sandstone exposed at Fugar and environs, is a coarsening upward sequence (increasing grain sizes) with a progressive increase in sorting. since hydraulic conductivity increases with increasing grain sizes and sorting, hence, excellent aquifer characteristics for the groundwater within the study area. The foregoing revealed that the aquifer geometry and properties of the study areas is favourable for the availability of drinking water for both the Urban and rural dwellers within these communities. Keywords: Aquifer geometry, groundwater, hydraulic conductivity, Anambra Basin