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Water
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Salinization of Coastal Aquifer Systems
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Salinization of Coastal Aquifer Systems

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Oceans and Coastal Zones".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2018) | Viewed by 28317

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nicolò Colombani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning SIMAU, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: groundwater modelling; reactive transport; saline aquifers; unsaturated zone transport; heavy metals; groundwater quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Micòl Mastrocicco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Interests: water resources management and protection in the coastal plains, with a focus on water and nitrogen balance at basin scale and salinization processes; characterization and monitoring of dissolved contaminants in aquifers via different assessment methods; implementation of density-dependent groundwater flow models and reactive transport models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue of Water is to publish papers that describe the state-of-the-art of groundwater salinization in coastal aquifers due to natural processes and anthropogenic activities. In particular, in coastal areas where aquifers are generally shallow, the role of groundwater and surface water interaction is usually magnified. To understand nutrients and salinity behavior within coastal aquifers, both hydrodynamics and the biogeochemical processes must be known. Moreover, depending on the level of nutrient contamination of the aquifer, major changes in ionic strength, dissolved organic matter content, and shifts in pH may lead to changes in speciation of nutrients and trace elements. For example, in coastal plains saltwater incursion (SWI) during summer, droughts can increase ammonium export from coastal freshwater wetlands. In addition, the significant projected Mean Sea Level Rise (MSLR) and the recurrent droughts experienced in the last decades, might already be altering the timing, magnitude and type of geochemical fluxes between coastal wetlands, shallow aquifers and oceans. In detail, the focus of this Special Issue is to deliver a limited number of papers, which describe key subjects on new challenges due to coastal aquifers salinization. Particular emphasis will be given to paper employing geochemical and geophysical data, numerical modelling and their conjunctive use to monitor, assess and quantify relevant processes in coastal aquifer systems. This Special Issue aims to cover, without being limited to, the following areas:

Monitoring and assessing groundwater salinization processes using combined geochemical and geophysical techniques in large watershed or small scale field sites to distinguish between actual saltwater intrusion from autonomous salinization.

Variable density transport modelling of solutes in variably saturated media, spacing from simple “sharp interface” models to complex reactive transport modelling.

Dr. Nicolò Colombani
Prof. Micòl Mastrocicco
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Saltwater upwelling
  • soils salinization
  • trace elements dissolution
  • variable density numerical modelling
  • sea level rise
  • paleo-seawater intrusion

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3912 KiB  
Article
Risk Assessment of Soil Salinization Due to Tomato Cultivation in Mediterranean Climate Conditions
by Angela Libutti, Anna Rita Bernadette Cammerino and Massimo Monteleone
Water 2018, 10(11), 1503; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10111503 - 23 Oct 2018
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 4196
Abstract
The Mediterranean climate is marked by arid climate conditions in summer; therefore, crop irrigation is crucial to sustain plant growth and productivity in this season. If groundwater is utilized for irrigation, an impressive water pumping system is needed to satisfy crop water requirements [...] Read more.
The Mediterranean climate is marked by arid climate conditions in summer; therefore, crop irrigation is crucial to sustain plant growth and productivity in this season. If groundwater is utilized for irrigation, an impressive water pumping system is needed to satisfy crop water requirements at catchment scale. Consequently, irrigation water quality gets worse, specifically considering groundwater salinization near the coastal areas due to seawater intrusion, as well as triggering soil salinization. With reference to an agricultural coastal area in the Mediterranean basin (southern Italy), close to the Adriatic Sea, an assessment of soil salinization risk due to processing tomato cultivation was carried out. A simulation model was first arranged, then validated, and finally applied to perform a water and salt balance along a representative soil profile on a daily basis. In this regard, long-term weather data and physical soil characteristics of the considered area (both taken from international databases) were utilized in applying the model, as well as considering three salinity levels of irrigation water. Based on the climatic analysis performed and the model outputs, the probability of soil salinity came out very high, such as to seriously threaten tomato yield. Autumn–winter rainfall frequently proved to be insufficient to leach excess salts away from the soil profile and reach sustainable conditions of tomato cultivation. Therefore, alternative cropping strategies were investigated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinization of Coastal Aquifer Systems)
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16 pages, 4540 KiB  
Article
High-Resolution Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to Characterize the Spatial Extension of Freshwater Lenses in a Salinized Coastal Aquifer
by Nicolas Greggio, Beatrice M. S. Giambastiani, Enrico Balugani, Chiara Amaini and Marco Antonellini
Water 2018, 10(8), 1067; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10081067 - 10 Aug 2018
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 6270
Abstract
High-resolution electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) with electrode spacing of 1 m proved to be an effective methodology to characterize ephemeral, sparse, and discontinuous freshwater lenses within the almost completely salinized shallow aquifer of the low coastal zone near Ravenna. ERT profiles with a [...] Read more.
High-resolution electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) with electrode spacing of 1 m proved to be an effective methodology to characterize ephemeral, sparse, and discontinuous freshwater lenses within the almost completely salinized shallow aquifer of the low coastal zone near Ravenna. ERT profiles with a vertical resolution of 0.25–0.5 m, once calibrated with groundwater data (water table depth and electrical conductivity) collected in multi-level sampler systems at the same spatial resolution, are reliable and provide repeatable measurements in time. The ERT methodology allows for fast data acquisition over large areas and it also permits the study of the evolution in time of freshwater availability in coastal zones, which is important for local ecosystems and soil resources. This makes high-resolution ERT a valid tool to aid local stakeholders and decision makers to effectively manage freshwater lenses, and guarantee their preservation or augmentation by means of managed aquifer recharge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinization of Coastal Aquifer Systems)
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17 pages, 5109 KiB  
Article
Microbial Function and Hydrochemistry within a Stratified Anchialine Sinkhole: A Window into Coastal Aquifer Interactions
by Madison C. Davis and James R. Garey
Water 2018, 10(8), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10080972 - 25 Jul 2018
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4444
Abstract
Anchialine sinkholes provide insight into coastal aquifer systems and coastal mixing processes. Aquifer microbial community function is usually inferred from hydrochemical information, but there are few direct studies of microbial communities in the Floridan Aquifer. Hospital Hole is a 43 m-deep stratified sinkhole [...] Read more.
Anchialine sinkholes provide insight into coastal aquifer systems and coastal mixing processes. Aquifer microbial community function is usually inferred from hydrochemical information, but there are few direct studies of microbial communities in the Floridan Aquifer. Hospital Hole is a 43 m-deep stratified sinkhole under the Weeki Wachee River, FL, with three distinct brackish layers: a hypoxic layer, a chemocline and a sulfidic anoxic layer. Illumina sequencing and bioinformatic tools were used to reconstruct metabolic functions and interactions of microbial communities in each layer. Each layer appears to originate from different parts of the coastal mixing zone and has a distinct microbial community with unique functions, which are influenced by the respective hydrochemistry. Sulfide oxidation and nitrate reduction are the most abundant functions. Syntrophy between methane oxidizers, methanogens and sulfate reducers is present. Similarities between the hydrochemistry and potential connectivity of Hospital Hole and the Floridan Aquifer coastal mixing zone suggest that microbial communities of Hospital Hole could be a surrogate for the coastal mixing zone of the aquifer in the absence of direct studies. Understanding how groundwater microbial communities react to saltwater intrusion and nutrient flux will be useful in predicting how coastal aquifer regions might react to anthropogenic change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinization of Coastal Aquifer Systems)
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22 pages, 29622 KiB  
Article
Delineation of Suitable Zones for the Application of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) in Coastal Aquifers Using Quantitative Parameters and the Analytical Hierarchy Process
by Nerantzis Kazakis
Water 2018, 10(6), 804; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10060804 - 18 Jun 2018
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 7779
Abstract
Coastal aquifer salinization is usually related to groundwater overexploitation and water table decline. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) can be applied as a measure to reverse and prevent this phenomenon. A detailed literature review was performed to identify the various methods and parameters commonly [...] Read more.
Coastal aquifer salinization is usually related to groundwater overexploitation and water table decline. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) can be applied as a measure to reverse and prevent this phenomenon. A detailed literature review was performed to identify the various methods and parameters commonly used to determine suitable sites of MAR application. Based on the review results, a new multi-criteria index (SuSAM) that is compatible to coastal aquifers was developed to delineate suitable zones for MAR application. New parameters were introduced into the index, such as distance from the shore and hydraulic resistance of the vadose zone, while factor weights were determined using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and single sensitivity analysis. The applicability of the new index was examined in the coastal aquifer of the Anthemountas basin located in northern Greece. The most suitable areas for MAR application cover 28% of the aquifer’s surface area, while 16% of the area was characterized as non-suitable for MAR application. The new method constitutes the first step of the managed aquifer recharge concept for the delineation of MAR-suitable zones in coastal aquifers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinization of Coastal Aquifer Systems)
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17 pages, 4398 KiB  
Article
Assessing Aquifer Salinization with Multiple Techniques along the Southern Caspian Sea Shore (Iran)
by Mohammad Golshan, Nicolò Colombani and Micòl Mastrocicco
Water 2018, 10(4), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10040348 - 21 Mar 2018
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4514
Abstract
This study focuses on the salinization of the coastal aquifer in the Mazandaran Province (Iran) within four different sites. Many factors can lead to declining groundwater quality, but this study focuses on the seawater intrusion area. Therefore, locating the interface between saltwater and [...] Read more.
This study focuses on the salinization of the coastal aquifer in the Mazandaran Province (Iran) within four different sites. Many factors can lead to declining groundwater quality, but this study focuses on the seawater intrusion area. Therefore, locating the interface between saltwater and freshwater is very important. For this purpose, three characterization methods with different accuracies have been employed: the Verruijt equation, vertical resistivity sounding, and an electromagnetic survey. Vertical resistivity sounding and the electromagnetic survey were performed near existing exploration boreholes and were used to determine the saltwater interface. The results showed that the Verruijt equation provides a reliable localization in two of the sites, but in the other two sites, the determined interface is lower than the observed data. The geoelectrical method showed acceptable results, but often this method cannot distinguish between the saltwater and saline aquitard boundary. The electromagnetic method showed a high accuracy in all the study sites and proved to be the most reliable method compared with the other techniques employed in this study. The results from this study are useful in helping to identify the most suitable technique for locating the freshwater/saltwater interface, especially in those sites where a detailed characterization via multilevel sampling is not feasible for technical or economic reasons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinization of Coastal Aquifer Systems)
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