Impact of Climate Change on Salinization of Coastal Water Resources

Colombani, Nicolò; Osti, A.; Volta, G.; Mastrocicco, Micòl

doi:10.1007/s11269-016-1292-z

Cited by 89 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The H f measured at the bottom of the aquifer with a straddle packer system was 0.35 m higher than in the upper portion of the aquifer, thus inducing upward groundwater seepage prevalent to the horizontal groundwater flux (Colombani et al . , ). The prestorm event H f in the Ravenna site shows an inland oriented groundwater flow, with an H f mean gradient of approximately 2‰ decreasing landward.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Coastal aquifer response to extreme storm events in Emilia‐Romagna, Italy

Giambastiani

Colombani

Greggio

et al. 2017

Hydrological Processes

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With global warming and sea level rise, many coastal systems will experience increased levels of inundation and storm flooding, especially along sandy lowland coastal areas, such as the Northern Adriatic coast (Italy). Understanding how extreme events may directly affect groundwater hydrology in shallow unconfined coastal aquifers is important to assess coastal vulnerability and quantify freshwater resources. This study investigates shallow coastal aquifer response to storm events. The transitory and permanent effects of storm waves are evaluated through the real time monitoring of groundwater and soil parameters, in order to characterize both the saturated and unsaturated portions of the coastal aquifer of Ravenna and Ferrara (southern Po Delta, Italy). Results highlight a general increase in hydraulic head and soil moisture, along with a decrease in groundwater salinity and pore water salinity due to rainfall infiltration during the 2 days storm event. The only exceptions are represented by the observation wells in proximity to the coastline (within 100 m), which recorded a temporary increase in soil and water salinity caused by the exceptional high waves, which persist on top of the dune crest during the storm event. This generates a saline plume that infiltrates through the vadose zone down to the saturated portion of the aquifer causing a temporary disappearance of the freshwater lens generally present, although limited in size, below the coastal dunes. Despite the high hydraulic conductivity, the aquifer system does not quickly recover the pre‐storm equilibrium and the storm effects are evident in groundwater and soil parameters after 10 days past the storm overwash recess.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Coastal aquifer response to extreme storm events in Emilia‐Romagna, Italy

Giambastiani

Colombani

Greggio

et al. 2017

Hydrological Processes

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“…Thus, P34 reflects a back‐barrier environment and shows high TDS values up to 76.9 gl −1 (Figure ), starting from brackish and ending with hypersaline groundwater at the bottom of the aquifer. The P34 monitoring well is representative of hydrogeological conditions present in the southern portion of this coastal aquifer, where the actual Valli di Comacchio are located (see Figure ) and where the most saline conditions are present in the aquifer (Colombani et al, ). A different pattern is observed in P5 representing the urban environment.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating groundwater residence time and recharge patterns in a saline coastal aquifer

Caschetto

Colombani

Mastrocicco

et al. 2016

Hydrological Processes

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A detailed study using environmental tracers such as chloride (Cl−) and tritium (3H), deuterium (2H) and oxygen (18O) isotopes was performed in an alluvial coastal aquifer in two contrasting environments (urban and agricultural). These environmental tracers combined with a high‐resolution multi‐level sampling approach were used to estimate groundwater residence time and recharge patterns and to validate the hydrogeochemical conceptual model already proposed in previous studies. δ18O and δ2H combined with Cl− data proved that the hypersaline groundwater present in the deepest part of the aquifer was sourced from the underlying hypersaline aquitard via an upward flux. Both chemical and isotopic data were employed to calibrate a density‐dependent numerical model based on SEAWAT 4.0, where 3H and Cl− were helped quantifying solutes transport within the modelled aquifer. Model results highlighted the differences on estimated recharge in the two contrasting environments, with the urban one exhibiting concentrated recharge because of preferential infiltration associated to the storm water drains network, while scarce local recharge characterized the agriculture setting. In the urban field site, is still possible to recognize at 9 m b.g.l. the input of the atmospheric anthropogenic 3H generated by testing of thermonuclear weapons, while in the agricultural field site, the 3H peak has been washed out at 6 m b.g.l. because the groundwater circulation is restricted only to the upper fresh part of the aquifer, drained by the reclamation system. The presented approach that combined high‐resolution field monitoring, environmental tracers and numerical modelling, resulted effective in validating the conceptual model of the aquifer salinization. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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“…Other future scenarios could also be analyzed taking into account the influence of climate change on the aquifer recharge Molina et al, 2013;Colombani et al, 2016),…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Methodology to Analyse and Assess Pumping Management Strategies in Coastal Aquifers to Avoid Degradation Due to Seawater Intrusion Problems

Renau‐Pruñonosa

Morell

Pulido-Velázquez

2016

Water Resour Manage

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In this paper we will focus on an interesting and complex problem, the analysis of coastal aquifer management alternatives in aquifers affected by seawater intrusion problems. A systhematic method based on an approximation of the safe yield concept for coastal aquifers and a simple model approach to the problem is proposed to help in the decision The methodology was applied to a well-known Spanish Mediterranean aquifer, the Oropesa-Torreblanca Plain aquifer. The optimization problem was solved using an iterative process from a constant density flow simulation model of the aquifer, assuming a direct relationship between piezometric drawdown and seawater intrusion.

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Impact of Climate Change on Salinization of Coastal Water Resources

Cited by 89 publications

References 18 publications

Coastal aquifer response to extreme storm events in Emilia‐Romagna, Italy

Coastal aquifer response to extreme storm events in Emilia‐Romagna, Italy

Estimating groundwater residence time and recharge patterns in a saline coastal aquifer

A Methodology to Analyse and Assess Pumping Management Strategies in Coastal Aquifers to Avoid Degradation Due to Seawater Intrusion Problems

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