Abstract
The Pleistocene aquifers are important sources of water supply in both the Gaza and Jericho areas of Palestine. The aquifers are saline with freshwater lenses floating on saline bodies of water. It is important to investigate how to exploit these freshwater lenses without causing unnecessary mixing of the fresh and saline waters. The objective of this research is to investigate the feasibility of applying skimming and scavenger pumping as a means to exploit the freshwater lenses and to control saline water upconing in the aquifers. This study is the first to examine the movement of fresh and saline waters underneath skimming and scavenger wells in the aquifers of Gaza and Jericho. Two simulation models that couple density-dependent fluid flow and solute transport have been used to simulate and predict the movement of saltwater under different hydrogeological and operational conditions of skimming and scavenger wells in the two aquifers. The results show (for the Jericho Aquifer) that: the location of well screen has a strong control on the steady-state position of the fresh/saline water transition zone; the upconing mechanism appears to continue under skimming pumping until saline water enters the well screen even when the pumping rate is reduced; and for better salinity control it is necessary to place well screen against the gravel layers only and locate one screen segment in the saline water zone. The study shows (for the Gaza coastal aquifer) that the most important parameters affecting the movement of saline water under scavenger pumping are the relationship between recharge and pumping rates, the location of the well screen within the saturated thickness, the vertical permeability; and the transverse dispersivity. This study shows that saltwater upconing in Gaza aquifer can be controlled by operating a second well in the saline water zone so that the optimal ratio between saline water and freshwater pumping is 1:2 respectively.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aliewi, A. S.: 1993, Numerical simulation of the behaviour of the fresh/saline water transition zone around a scavenger well. PhD thesis. University of Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.
Birch, R. P. and van Wonderen, J. J.: 1990, Exploitation of freshwater lenses in Sind Province, Pakistan. Intn. Comm. Irrig. Drainage 14th Congress-Rio de Janeiro, Q42-R30, 445-460.
Fader, S.W.: 1957, An analysis of contour maps of 1955 water levels with a discussion of salt-water problems in southwestern Louisiana. Wat. Resour. Pamp., (4), Published by the Department of Conservation, Louisiana Geological Survey and Louisiana Department of Public Works, Baton Rouge, USA, 16-27.
Greitzer, Y. and Dan, J.: 1967, The effect of soil landscape and Quaternary geology on the distribution of saline and fresh water aquifers in the Coastal Plain of Israel, Tahal Water Planning for Israel, Ltd.
Long, R. A.: 1965, Feasibility of a scavenger-well system as a solution to the problem of vertical salt-water encroachment, State of Louisiana Department of Conservation, Geological Survey and Department of Public Works in Cooperation with USGSWat. Resour. Pamp. No. 15.
Moe, H., Hossain, R., Fitzgerald, R., Mushtaha, A., Banna, M. and Yaqubi, A.: 2001a, Application of a 3-Dimensional Couple Flow and Transport Model in the Gaza Strip, Submitted to SWICA conference, Moroco, April 2001.
Moe, H., Hossain, R., Mushtaha, A., Banna, M. and Yaqubi, A.: 2001b, Investigating Seawater Intrusion in the Coastal Aquifer of the Gaza Strip, Submitted to SWICA conference, Moroco, April 2001.
Reilly, T. E. and Goodman, A. S.: 1987, Analysis of saltwater upconing beneath a pumping well, J. Hydrol. 89, 169-204.
Rosenthal: 1992, Anthropogenically Induced Salinization of Groundwater: A Case Study From the Coastal Plain Aquifer of Israel, J. Contam. Hydrol. 11, 149-171.
Sahni, B. M.: 1973, Physics of brine coning beneath skimming wells, Ground Water 11(1), 19-24.
Schmorak, S. and Mercado, A.: 1969, Upconing of freshwater-saltwater interface below pumping wells, field study, Water Resour. Res. 5(6), 1290-1311.
Vengosh, A. and Ben-Zvi.: 1994, Formation of a salt plume in the Coastal Plain Aquifer of Israel; the Be'er Toviyya Region, J. Hydrol. 160, 21-52.
Vengosh, A. and Rosenthal, E.: 1994, Saline groundwater in Israel: Its bearing on the water crisis in the country, J. Hydrol. 156, 389-430.
Voss, C. I.: 1984a, AQUIFEM-SALT: a finite element model for aquifers containing a seawater interface, USGS,Wat. Resour. Investigation Report 84-4263, pp. 37.
Voss, C. I.: 1984b, A finite-element simulation model for saturated-unsaturated fluid-densitydependent groundwater flow with energy transport or chemically-reactive-single-species solute transport, USGS, Water Resour. Investigation Report 84-4369, pp. 409
Wang, F. C.: 1965, Approximate theory for skimming well formation in the Indus Plain of West Pakistan, J. Geophys. Res. 70(20), 5055-5063.
Zack, A.: 1988, A well system to recover water from a freshwater-saltwater aquifer in Puerto Rico, USGS,Water Supply, 2328.
Zack, A. and Munoz-Candelario, R.: 1984, Hydraulic technique for designing scavenger-production well couples to withdraw freshwater from aquifers containing saline water, Proj. No OWRT-A-075-PR(1), Geol. Surv., San Juan, PR Water Resour. Div., pp. 58.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aliewi, A.S., Mackay, R., Jayyousi, A. et al. Numerical Simulation of the Movement of Saltwater under Skimming and Scavenger Pumping in the Pleistocene Aquifer of Gaza and Jericho Areas, Palestine. Transport in Porous Media 43, 195–212 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010698516886
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010698516886