Numerical Simulation of Submarine Groundwater Flow in the Coastal Aquifer at the Palmahim Area, the Mediterranean Coast of Israel

• Published in: Water resources management Vol. 27; no. 11; pp. 4005 - 4020
• Main Authors: Amir, N., Kafri, U., Herut, B., Shalev, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.09.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquifers; Atmospheric Sciences; Civil Engineering; Coastal; Coastal aquifers; Coasts; Computer simulation; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Environment; Estuaries; Exact sciences and technology; Flow system; Fresh water; Geology; Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Ground-water flow; Groundwater; Groundwater flow; Hydrogeology; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Marine; Mathematical models; Pumping rates; Saline water intrusion; Salinization; Science education; Sea level; Sea level changes; Seawater; Separation; Simulation; Studies; Topography; Water resources; Water resources management; Middle East; Asia; Israel; MED, Israel; MED, Western Mediterranean; Numerical modeling; Sea water intrusion; Coastal aquifer; Submarine groundwater flow; detection; shorelines; salt-water intrusion; ground water; digital simulation; offshore; pumping; salinization; coastal zone; aquifers; separation; numerical models; water resource management; fresh water; sea level
• ISSN: 0920-4741; 1573-1650
• DOI: 10.1007/s11269-013-0392-2

The lower sub-aquifers of the Mediterranean coastal aquifer of Israel, at the Palmahim area, are hypothesized to be laterally blocked to connection with the sea, and thus to seawater intrusion. This is mostly due to the detection of fresh water bodies at these sub-aquifers. This study examine this hypothesis by using two dimensional numerical model simulations of the groundwater flow system at this area, which conducted in order to reveal which hydrogeological setting enables the existence of these fresh water bodies in the lower sub-aquifers and to assess the on-land pumping rates that will prevent their salinization. The hydrogeological settings were examined by steady state simulations followed by simulations of the last 15,000 years sea level changes. These simulations imply that the presence of fresh water in the lower sub-aquifer, whether blocked or connected to the sea, requires offshore separation between the upper and lower sub-aquifers. On-land pumping simulations, with a well located inside the lower sub-aquifers at the shoreline, show a maximum pumping rate of 250 m 3 /m strip width/year, hereafter m 2 /year, to prevent the salinization of the lower sub-aquifers. The various pumping scenarios revealed differences in salinization trends between the scenarios with impermeable separating layers and those with semi permeable layers. Scenarios with extreme pumping rates emphasize these differences, and together with field test, can allow assessing the amount of separation between the sub-aquifers.