Abstract
Coastal areas have become increasingly vulnerable to groundwater salinization, especially in the last century, due to the combined effects of climate change and growing anthropization. In this study, a novel methodology named GALDIT-SUSI was applied in the floodplain of the Volturno River mouth for the current (2018) and future (2050) evaluation of seawater intrusion accounting for the expected subsidence and groundwater salinization rates. Several input variables such as digital surface model, land use classification, subsidence rate and drainage system have been mapped via remote sensing resources. The current assessment highlights how areas affected by salinization coincide with the semiperennial lagoons and inland depressed areas where paleosaline groundwaters are present. The future assessment (2050) shows a marked increase of salinization vulnerability in the coastal strip and in the most depressed areas. The results highlight that the main vulnerability driver is the Revelle index, while predicted subsidence and recharge rates will only slightly affect groundwater salinization. This case study indicates that GALDIT-SUSI is a reliable and easy-to-use tool for the assessment of groundwater salinization in many coastal regions of the world.
Highlights
Coastal zones (CZ) represent exceptionally sensitive environments worldwide which have been deeply influenced by natural processes and human activities capable of modifying the landscape pattern structure and the ecological processes in the related ecosystems [1,2]
Both surface water and groundwater samples inside the study area mainly belong to the carbonate–alkali and sodium chloride facies, showing a very high salinity content
The high correlation found between Cl −, Na+, Br− and SO42−
Summary
Coastal zones (CZ) represent exceptionally sensitive environments worldwide which have been deeply influenced by natural processes and human activities capable of modifying the landscape pattern structure and the ecological processes in the related ecosystems [1,2]. Especially sea-level rise (SLR) [3], severe drought and anomalous waves [4] are the natural processes that most affect coastal systems [5], and anthropic pressures, namely high population density and widespread agricultural and touristic activities [6,7], have been identified as important drivers responsible for coastal systems degradation, especially in deltaic coastal settings. Seawater intrusion (SI) and more generally groundwater salinization, are serious phenomena that could negatively affect these delicate settings, being the main discriminating factor for the groundwater quality in coastal aquifers worldwide. In the Mediterranean coastal areas, anthropogenic activities requiring large quantities of water, which is usually met by abstracting groundwater resources, have led to continuous groundwater depletion, triggering SI. Among all factors, SLR in Mediterranean coastal aquifers has been identified as one of the main reasons responsible for actual and future. SI [8], which can be further amplified by local factors such as land subsidence [9] and coastline retreat [10].
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