Laboratory experiments and numerical simulations were utilized in this study to assess the impact of aquifer stratification on saltwater intrusion. Three homogeneous and six layered aquifers were investigated. Image processing algorithms facilitated the precise calculation of saltwater wedge toe length, width of the mixing zone, and angle of intrusion. It was concluded that the length of intrusion in stratified aquifers is predominantly a function of permeability contrast, total aquifer transmissivity and the number of heterogeneous layers, being positively correlated to all three. When a lower permeability layer overlays or underlays more permeable zones its mixing zone widens, while it becomes thinner for the higher permeability strata. The change in the width of the mixing zone (WMZ) is positively correlated to permeability contrast, while it applies to all strata irrespectively of their relative vertical position in the aquifer. Variations in the applied hydraulic head causes the transient widening of WMZ. These peak WMZ values are larger during saltwater retreat and are negatively correlated to the layer's permeability and distance from the aquifer's bottom. Moreover, steeper angles of intrusion are observed in cases where low permeability layers overlay more permeable strata, and milder ones in the inverse aquifer setups. The presence of a low permeability upper layer results in the confinement of the saltwater wedge in the lower part of the stratified aquifer. This occurs until a critical hydraulic head difference is applied to the system. This hydraulic gradient value was found to be a function of layer width and permeability contrast alike.

Deriving saltwater concentrations from the light intensity values of dyed saline solutions is a long-established image processing practice in laboratory scale investigations of saline intrusion. The current paper presents a novel methodology that employs the predictive ability of machine learning algorithms in order to determine saltwater concentration fields. The proposed approach consists of three distinct parts, image pre-processing, porous medium classification (glass bead structure recognition) and saltwater field generation (regression). It minimizes the need for aquifer-specific calibrations, significantly shortening the experimental procedure by up to 50% of the time required. A series of typical saline intrusion experiments were conducted in homogeneous and heterogeneous aquifers, consisting of glass beads of varying sizes, to recreate the necessary laboratory data. An innovative method of distinguishing and filtering out the common experimental error introduced by both backlighting and the optical irregularities of the glass bead medium was formulated. This enabled the acquisition of quality predictions by classical, easy-to-use machine learning techniques, such as feedforward Artificial Neural Networks, using a limited amount of training data, proving the applicability of the procedure. The new process was benchmarked against a traditional regression algorithm. A series of variables were utilized to quantify the variance between the results generated by the two procedures. No compromise was found to the quality of the derived concentration fields and it was established that the proposed image processing technique is robust when applied to homogeneous and heterogeneous domains alike, outperforming the classical approach in all test cases. Moreover, the method minimized the impact of experimental errors introduced by small movements of the camera and the presence air bubbles trapped in the porous medium.

This study investigated the saltwater upconing mechanism in fractured coastal aquifers. Head-induced saline intrusion was initiated into three narrow sandbox aquifers containing individual horizontal discontinuities placed on different positions. Subsequently, using a peristaltic pump, freshwater was abstracted from the aquifers’ center, triggering saltwater upconing. Progressively larger pumping rates were applied until critical conditions, resulting in the wells’ salinization, were achieved. Advanced image analysis algorithms were utilized to recreate the saltwater concentration fields and quantify the extent of the saline wedges with a high accuracy. A numerical model was successfully employed to simulate the laboratory results and conduct a comprehensive sensitivity analysis, further expanding the findings of this investigation. The impact of the fractures’ length, permeability and position on the upconing mechanism was identified. It was established that the presence of high permeability discontinuities significantly affected aquifer hydrodynamics. The conclusions of this study could constitute a contribution towards the successful management of real-world fractured coastal aquifers.

This work used experimental and numerical methods to investigate seawater intrusion (SWI) in a complex heterogeneous laboratory-scale aquifer. We started the analysis with a homogeneous isotropic aquifer as a reference case, then moved to heterogeneous layered aquifers. The study also investigated block-wise synthetic aquifers with different configurations. The seawater wedge toe length generally decreased under heterogeneous conditions, while the freshwater–saltwater dispersion/mixing zone generally increased when compared to the homogenous case. The saltwater–freshwater interface shows a distinct gradient change across boundaries at differing hydraulic conductivities. This was attributed to streamline refraction, which caused a reduction to the angle of intrusion when transitioning from high to low permeability zones and vice versa. The refraction also affected the mixing zone, where additional spreading was also observed when transitioning from high to low permeability zones and vice versa. When low permeability zones predominated the shoreline at the saline water boundary, this produced a shorter saline wedge in the horizontal direction, but it was more expanded vertically. This study provides insight into the general processes of SWI in heterogeneous aquifers and could be used as a basis for defining conceptual models of real-world systems. It highlights the capabilities of the image analysis to capture small perturbations.

Seawater intrusion is a major issue worldwide, as coastal aquifers often act as the primary source of drinking water for more than one billion people. With climate change and projected population increases in coastal areas, this problem is anticipated to become more pressing over the next decades. Effective site characterisation strategies provide a crucial component in understanding subsurface saltwater migration. Density differences cause freshwater to float on seawater creating the classical saltwater intrusion saline wedge. However, tides often control coastal groundwater dynamics causing the emergence of an upper saline recirculation cell beneath the intertidal zone (Intertidal Recirculation Cell, IRC). Here we present the application of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) techniques to characterize the coastal sand aquifer underlying Benone Strand (Magilligan, Northern Ireland) where tides induce an IRC. The aquifer is approximately 20 m thick and rests directly on Lr. Jurassic mudstones. 2D ERT profiles were generated at Benone beach using the SYSCAL Pro 72 ERI system (Iris Instruments). Two different array configurations (Wenner-Schlumberger and dipole-dipole) were used to provide both improved horizontal and vertical resolution. Because of the homogeneity of the sand, the ERT profiles made it possible to clearly define the configuration of the IRC and the fresh groundwater discharging “tube”. The presence of the tidally-driven recirculation cell causes fresh groundwater to flow below the IRC (“discharge tube”) and discharge in the vicinity of the low water mark. ERT data suggest that the IRC has a resistivity of approximately 1 Ωm and a thickness of 8 m. Resistivity increases below the IRC, but declines moving towards the low water mark. These findings suggest a possible mixing zone between saline water and the freshwater discharge. To verify the accuracy of the resistivity values measured in the ERT profiles, water samples were collected at various distances along a perpendicular transect from the high water mark to the low water mark. The electrical conductivities of the water samples were measured and compared with the resistivities obtained in the ERT profiles using Archie's law. Similar values were obtained in both cases. A MALÅ ground penetrating radar system, operating at 50 MHz, 100 MHz and 500 MHz, was used to collect 2D GPR profiles at Benone beach from the low tide mark to beyond the high water mark. Findings suggested that the IRC attenuated the radar signal in all cases. However, GPR profiles were crucially important to demarcate the interfaces between freshwater and saltwater near the ground surface. GPR profiles obtained using higher frequencies (500 MHz) were the most informative. The research work carried out at Magilligan allows us to conclude that the application of ERT and GPR techniques is effective in delineating seawater intrusion in aquifers where tides create an IRC. In addition, ERT profiles very clearly identified the IRC through field measurements (which in most cases is studied through numerical models and laboratory tests).