Groundwater level observations in 250,000 coastal US wells reveal scope of potential seawater intrusion

Jasechko, Scott; Perrone, Debra; Seybold, Hansjörg; Fan, Ying; Kirchner, James W.

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17038-2

Cited by 104 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…However, with the increase in water demands, groundwater pollution caused by seawater intrusion [3][4][5][6][7], waste disposal of urban residents, and industrial and agricultural production [8][9][10] have caused severe threats to freshwater resource. Seawater intrusion is widely regarded as a common environmental problem affecting groundwater in coastal areas [11][12][13]. With 1% mixing of seawater would render the groundwater nonpotable and further induce soil salinization, ecological degradation, and decline in the quality of agricultural and industrial products [13,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elucidating the Pollution Sources and Groundwater Evolution in Typical Seawater Intrusion Areas Using Hydrochemical and Environmental Stable Isotope Technique: A Case Study for Shandong Province, China

et al. 2021

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Seawater intrusion has a serious impact on industry, agriculture, and people’s daily life. Thus, the present study was designed to elucidate the pollution sources and groundwater evolution in typical intrusion areas of Shandong Province by hydrochemistry and environmental isotope techniques. The water samples were collected to analyze the groundwater evolution under different intrusion, and groundwater evolution in the south of Laizhou Bay from 2005 to 2019. The findings indicated that the groundwater level dropping funnel caused by overexploitation was the direct causation of seawater intrusion in the three typical intruded areas. The groundwater evolution paths demonstrated that the groundwater in the south of Laizhou Bay had the fastest evolution rate and the highest degree of evolution, followed by the Dagu River Basin. The groundwater evolution extent and fitting of mixing lines indicated that the groundwater in the south of Laizhou Bay, Longkou, and Dagu River Basin was dominated by palaeosaltwater intrusion, modern seawater intrusion, and sea-saltwater mixed intrusion, respectively. Palaeosaltwater mixing produces a more severe salinization effect compared to seawater mixing. Meanwhile, the isotopes are gradually enriched with the deepening of intrusion, while the decrease of isotopes is delayed compared with the saltwater retreat. This is caused by that the stable isotopes enriched in the aquiclude due to the chemical permeation effect will be released into the aquifer after the salinity attenuates in the aquifer. The palaeosaltwater intrusion caused by anthropogenic activities has promoted serious fluorine pollution in the south of Laizhou Bay, while the groundwater nitrate pollution in Longkou was the most serious, followed by the Dagu River Basin due to high-density agricultural and domestic activity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elucidating the Pollution Sources and Groundwater Evolution in Typical Seawater Intrusion Areas Using Hydrochemical and Environmental Stable Isotope Technique: A Case Study for Shandong Province, China

et al. 2021

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“…The differences between Figures 10A and 10B imply that the pumping activity has reversed the groundwater flow from a gulfward direction to a landward direction. As Jasechko et al (2020) has shown, the saltwater intrusion in Southwest Louisiana can be connected to groundwater level decline in inland areas. However, the origin of the salt water is not the Gulf of Mexico as they argued.…”

Section: Groundwater Level Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Irrigation-Intensive Groundwater Modeling of Complex Aquifer Systems Through Integration of Big Geological Data

et al. 2021

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This study identifies hydrogeologic characteristics of complex aquifers based on constructing stratigraphic structure with large, non-uniform well log data. The approach was validated through a modeling study of the irrigation-intensive Chicot aquifer system, which is an important Pleistocene-Holocene aquifer of the Coastal Lowlands aquifer system in the southwestern Louisiana. Various well log types were unified into the same data structure, prioritized based on data sources, and interpolated to generate a detailed stratigraphic structure. More than 29,000 well logs were integrated to construct a stratigraphy model of 56 model layers for the Chicot aquifer system. The stratigraphy model revealed interconnections of various sands in the system, where 90% of the model domain is covered by fine-grained sediments. Although the groundwater model estimated a slight groundwater storage gain during 2005–2014 for the entire region, groundwater storage in the agricultural area was depleted. Nevertheless, the quick groundwater storage recovery during the non-irrigation seasons suggests that the Chicot aquifer system is a prolific aquifer system. The groundwater modeling result shows that the gulfward groundwater flow direction prior to pumping has been reversed toward inland pumping areas. The large upward vertical flow from the deeper sands indicates potential saltwater migration from the base of the Chicot aquifer system.

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“…This change in gradient provides a gateway for saltwater to migrate inland and contaminate freshwater sources. Jasechko et al (2020) demonstrated that many of the aquifers along the Gulf Coast, including the Chicot aquifer in Louisiana, are susceptible to saltwater intrusion due to this landward HG. Borrok and Broussard (2016) highlight historical areas of saltwater encroachment within the Chicot aquifer.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Aquifer Storage and Recovery Feasibility Using Numerical Modeling and Geospatial Analysis: Application in Louisiana

LaHaye

Habib

Vahdat-Aboueshagh

et al. 2021

J American Water Resour Assoc

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Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a solution for regions experiencing groundwater shortages, but is unexplored in wet regions such as Louisiana, which is experiencing aquifer overdrafting at alarming rates. Surface storage reservoirs are infeasible in these low‐gradient environments, so ASR can provide an alternative to alleviate groundwater stress and prevent subsidence and saltwater intrusion. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of ASR in the Chicot Aquifer in Southwest Louisiana. The study is based on a regional groundwater model combined with a geospatial analysis of the quantity and quality of surface water and groundwater resources and land use. A statistical distribution was used to rate each criterion and combine them into a suitability index (SI) that defines each watershed’s feasibility considering combinations of criteria determined by the user’s purpose for ASR and the availability of data. The SI was formulated as a hybrid additive‐multiplicative function to provide flexibility in specifying criteria that are deemed most constraining for ASR feasibility. The analysis identified the east‐central zone of the Chicot Aquifer, which is experiencing substantial groundwater stress from agricultural irrigation, as most suited for ASR operations. Besides the criteria on water availability and aquifer characteristics, the quality of the surface water and land‐use considerations were key factors in constraining the feasible watersheds.

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Groundwater level observations in 250,000 coastal US wells reveal scope of potential seawater intrusion

Cited by 104 publications

References 53 publications

Elucidating the Pollution Sources and Groundwater Evolution in Typical Seawater Intrusion Areas Using Hydrochemical and Environmental Stable Isotope Technique: A Case Study for Shandong Province, China

Elucidating the Pollution Sources and Groundwater Evolution in Typical Seawater Intrusion Areas Using Hydrochemical and Environmental Stable Isotope Technique: A Case Study for Shandong Province, China

Irrigation-Intensive Groundwater Modeling of Complex Aquifer Systems Through Integration of Big Geological Data

Assessment of Aquifer Storage and Recovery Feasibility Using Numerical Modeling and Geospatial Analysis: Application in Louisiana

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