HR: 0800h
AN: H21B-1019    [Abstracts]
TI: Modelling Groundwater-Seawater Interactions in the Aral Sea Region
AU: * Shibuo, Y
EM: yoshihiro.shibuo@natgeo.su.se
AF: Stockholm University, Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm, SE-106 91 Sweden
AU: Jarsj\"o, J
EM: jerker.jarsjo@natgeo.su.se
AF: Stockholm University, Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm, SE-106 91 Sweden
AU: Destouni, G
EM: georgia.destouni@natgeo.su.se
AF: Stockholm University, Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm, SE-106 91 Sweden
AB: The Aral Sea, the former world's fourth biggest inland water body in 1960, has experienced dramatic shrinkage due to the failed mega scale hydrological engineering, which resulted in losing nine tenth of its original sea volume. Furthermore, the salinity has increased from about 10 g/L in the 1960's to about 90 g/L presently. Such dramatic changes affect also the coastal aquifers in the region. In particular, the risk of salt water intrusion (SWI) into these aquifers must be considered when using the groundwater as local fresh water supply. While, on the one hand, the potential risk of SWI may have decreased in the region due to the increasing distance between the receding sea and the freshwater aquifers, the considerably increased sea water density may, on the other hand, imply an increased potential risk of SWI. We address the effects of sea level lowering and increased sea water salinity on the salinity transition zone in coastal aquifers, as well as the submarine groundwater discharge (the mixed flow of salt water originating from the sea and fresh groundwater discharge) pattern in the region.
DE: 1800 HYDROLOGY
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting