Hydraulic and geochemical impact of occasional saltwater intrusions through a submarine spring in a karst and thermal aquifer (Balaruc peninsula near Montpellier, France)

• Published in: Hydrology and earth system sciences Vol. 24; no. 11; pp. 5655 - 5672
• Main Authors: Pétré, Marie-Amélie, Ladouche, Bernard, Seidel, Jean-Luc, Hemelsdaël, Romain, de Montety, Véronique, Batiot-Guilhe, Christelle, Lamotte, Claudine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 27.11.2020; European Geosciences Union; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Analysis; Aquifers; Coastal aquifers; Coasts; Discharge; Drinking water; Dynamics; Environment and Society; Environmental Sciences; Environmental studies; Geochemistry; Geology; Global Changes; Groundwater; Groundwater management; Groundwater quality; Groundwater resources; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydraulics; Hydrodynamics; Hydrogeology; Isotopic tracers; Karst; Lagoons; Offshore; Perturbation; Piezometric head; Rare earth elements; Resource management; Saline water; Saline water intrusion; Salinity; Salt water intrusion; Saltwater encroachment; Saltwater intrusion; Sea level; Seawater; Seawater intrusion; Spring; Strontium 87; Strontium isotopes; Submarine springs; Tracers; Water resource management; Water resources; Water shortages; Water springs; Water supply; France
• ISSN: 1607-7938; 1027-5606; 1607-7938
• DOI: 10.5194/hess-24-5655-2020

Submarine springs are a common discharge feature of the karst aquifers along the Mediterranean coast. In some instances, occasional and localized saltwater intrusions can occur through the submarine spring and negatively impact the quality of the groundwater resource. The hydraulic and geochemical behaviour of a submarine spring discharging into the Thau Lagoon just offshore of the Balaruc peninsula near Montpellier, France, has been characterized to determine the impacts of such phenomena to better understand the dynamics of a regional karst aquifer and improve its groundwater management. This work is based on both historical and new hydrogeological and geochemical data, illustrating six occasional saltwater intrusion events (from 1967 to 2014) in the Thau Lagoon area (southern France).