Vulnerability of a Tunisian Coastal Aquifer to Seawater Intrusion: Insights from the GALDIT Model
The Korba region in northwestern Tunisia has a coastal aquifer that is impacted by intensive irrigation, urban expansion, and sensitivity to SWI. We assessed the vulnerability extent of Korba’s GW to SWI. We utilized a parametric model for GW vulnerability assessment, the GALDIT, which considers six...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/7/1177 |
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| author | Adel Zghibi Amira Merzougui Abubakarr S. Mansaray Ali Mirchi Lahcen Zouhri Anis Chekirbane Mohamed Haythem Msaddek Dhekra Souissi Amina Mabrouk-El-Asmi Abdelmadjid Boufekane |
| author_facet | Adel Zghibi Amira Merzougui Abubakarr S. Mansaray Ali Mirchi Lahcen Zouhri Anis Chekirbane Mohamed Haythem Msaddek Dhekra Souissi Amina Mabrouk-El-Asmi Abdelmadjid Boufekane |
| author_sort | Adel Zghibi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Korba region in northwestern Tunisia has a coastal aquifer that is impacted by intensive irrigation, urban expansion, and sensitivity to SWI. We assessed the vulnerability extent of Korba’s GW to SWI. We utilized a parametric model for GW vulnerability assessment, the GALDIT, which considers six parameters to determine SWI effects. The GALDIT map has four rating categories (≥7.5, 7.5–5, 5–2.5, and <2.5), representing very high, high, moderate, and low vulnerability, respectively. Most of the region was found to be highly vulnerable (44.2% of the surface area), followed by areas characterized by very high (20.3%) and moderate (19.3%) vulnerability. Only 16.2% was found to have low vulnerability. A parameter sensitivity analysis showed that distance from shore and depth of GW represent the determining factors for SWI with variation index values of 24.12 and 18.02%, respectively. Inland advancement of seawater is causing GW salinity to rise, as indicated by a strong Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.75 between SWI indices and the electrical conductivity. Suitable areas for artificial recharge were mainly distributed in the alluvial plains, with a total area of 32.85 km<sup>2</sup>. Inhibiting SWI requires about 11.31 MCM of artificial recharge in the two most suitable recharge zones in the region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:19:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-425267b887e44292bb02ce04298a4536 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:19:00Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-425267b887e44292bb02ce04298a45362023-12-01T00:23:14ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412022-04-01147117710.3390/w14071177Vulnerability of a Tunisian Coastal Aquifer to Seawater Intrusion: Insights from the GALDIT ModelAdel Zghibi0Amira Merzougui1Abubakarr S. Mansaray2Ali Mirchi3Lahcen Zouhri4Anis Chekirbane5Mohamed Haythem Msaddek6Dhekra Souissi7Amina Mabrouk-El-Asmi8Abdelmadjid Boufekane9LR01ES06 Laboratory of Geological Resources and Environment, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, TunisiaNational Institute of Agronomy, University of Carthage, Tunis 1082, TunisiaOklahoma Water Resources Center, Division of Agricultural Sconce and Natural Resources, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USADepartment of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Oklahoma State University, 111 Agricultural Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, USAAGHYLE, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, Polytechnic Institute UniLaSalle Beauvais, 19 Pierre Waguet Street, 60026 Beauvais, FranceNational Institute of Agronomy, University of Carthage, Tunis 1082, TunisiaLR01ES06 Laboratory of Geological Resources and Environment, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, TunisiaLR01ES06 Laboratory of Geological Resources and Environment, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, TunisiaLaboratory of Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, TunisiaDepartment of Geology Geo-Environment Laboratory, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Country Planning, University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene, Algiers 09000, AlgeriaThe Korba region in northwestern Tunisia has a coastal aquifer that is impacted by intensive irrigation, urban expansion, and sensitivity to SWI. We assessed the vulnerability extent of Korba’s GW to SWI. We utilized a parametric model for GW vulnerability assessment, the GALDIT, which considers six parameters to determine SWI effects. The GALDIT map has four rating categories (≥7.5, 7.5–5, 5–2.5, and <2.5), representing very high, high, moderate, and low vulnerability, respectively. Most of the region was found to be highly vulnerable (44.2% of the surface area), followed by areas characterized by very high (20.3%) and moderate (19.3%) vulnerability. Only 16.2% was found to have low vulnerability. A parameter sensitivity analysis showed that distance from shore and depth of GW represent the determining factors for SWI with variation index values of 24.12 and 18.02%, respectively. Inland advancement of seawater is causing GW salinity to rise, as indicated by a strong Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.75 between SWI indices and the electrical conductivity. Suitable areas for artificial recharge were mainly distributed in the alluvial plains, with a total area of 32.85 km<sup>2</sup>. Inhibiting SWI requires about 11.31 MCM of artificial recharge in the two most suitable recharge zones in the region.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/7/1177groundwater (GW) vulnerability indexGALDIT indexparameters’ sensitivityartificial rechargeseawater intrusion (SWI)Korba aquifer |
| spellingShingle | Adel Zghibi Amira Merzougui Abubakarr S. Mansaray Ali Mirchi Lahcen Zouhri Anis Chekirbane Mohamed Haythem Msaddek Dhekra Souissi Amina Mabrouk-El-Asmi Abdelmadjid Boufekane Vulnerability of a Tunisian Coastal Aquifer to Seawater Intrusion: Insights from the GALDIT Model Water groundwater (GW) vulnerability index GALDIT index parameters’ sensitivity artificial recharge seawater intrusion (SWI) Korba aquifer |
| title | Vulnerability of a Tunisian Coastal Aquifer to Seawater Intrusion: Insights from the GALDIT Model |
| title_full | Vulnerability of a Tunisian Coastal Aquifer to Seawater Intrusion: Insights from the GALDIT Model |
| title_fullStr | Vulnerability of a Tunisian Coastal Aquifer to Seawater Intrusion: Insights from the GALDIT Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vulnerability of a Tunisian Coastal Aquifer to Seawater Intrusion: Insights from the GALDIT Model |
| title_short | Vulnerability of a Tunisian Coastal Aquifer to Seawater Intrusion: Insights from the GALDIT Model |
| title_sort | vulnerability of a tunisian coastal aquifer to seawater intrusion insights from the galdit model |
| topic | groundwater (GW) vulnerability index GALDIT index parameters’ sensitivity artificial recharge seawater intrusion (SWI) Korba aquifer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/7/1177 |
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