Skip to main content
Log in

Porosity change in heterogeneous and isotropic limestone coastal aquifer during mixing of seawater and freshwater

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Carbonates and Evaporites Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Calcite dissolution, porosity development are strongly influenced by mixing phenomenon, fluid density and heterogeneity (variability of the hydraulic proprieties). This study presents an approach for calculating porosity change in a heterogeneous porous media during mixing of seawater and freshwater. The proposed approach is based on the Phillip’s analytical solution and is determined by five main steps: (1) Generate a random K-field, (2) Calculate the flow and transport of the heterogeneous porous media, (3) Evaluate the dispersivity coefficient results of the heterogeneity aspect, (4) Evaluate the dissolution capacity of calcite during mixing of two solutions and (5) calculate the porosity change. This approach takes into account the effect of the aquifer heterogeneity on the dispersivity and is applied to simulate the effect of calcite dissolution on the porosity development in a heterogeneous idealized aquifer during seawater intrusion. Results presented in this work are preliminary to assess the effect of heterogeneity on the geochemical reaction during mixing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abarca E, Carrera J, Held R, Sánchez-Vila X, Dentz M, Kinzelbach W, Vázquez-Suné E (2005) Effective dispersion in seawater intrusion through heterogeneous aquifers Groundwater and Saline Intrusion (ed L Araguás, CE & M Manzano). Hidrogeol Aguas Subterráneas 15:49–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Aris R (1956) On the dispersion of a solute in a fluid flowing through a tube. Proc R Soc Lond A 235:67–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Audigane P, Gaus I, Czernichowski-Lauriol I, Pruess K, Xu T (2007) Two-dimensional reactive transport modeling of CO2 injection in a saline aquifer at the Sleipner site North Sea. Am J Sci 307:974–1008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corbella M, Ayora C, Cardellach E (2004) Hydrothermal mixing, carbonate dissolution and sulfide precipitation in Mississippi Valley-type deposits. Miner Depos 39:344–357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corbella M, Ayora C, Cardellach E, Soler A (2006) Reactive transport modeling and hydrothermal karst genesis: the example of the Rocabruna barite deposit (Eastern Pyrenees). Chem Geol 233:113–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diersch H (1988) Finite element modelling of recirculating density-driven saltwater intrusion processes in groundwater. Adv Water Resour 11:25–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/0309-1708(88)90019-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diersch H-J, Kolditz O (1998) Coupled groundwater flow and transport: 2. Thermohaline and 3D convection systems. Adv Water Resour 21:401–425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freedman V, Ibaraki M (2002) Effects of chemical reactions on density-dependent fluid flow: on the numerical formulation and the development of instabilities. Adv Water Resour 25:439–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1708(01)00056-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frenzel H (1995) A field generator based on Mejia’s algorithm Institut für Umweltphysik. University of Heidelberg, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • Henry HR (1964) Effect of dispersion on salt encroachment in coastal aquifers. US Geol Surv Water-Supply Pap 1613-C:70–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-004-0333-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ibaraki M (1998) A robust and efficient numerical model for analyses of density-dependent flow in porous media. J Contam Hydrol 34:235–246. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-7722(98)00092-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz GE, Berkowitz B, Guadagnini A, Saaltink MW (2011) Experimental and modeling investigation of multicomponent reactive transport in porous media. J Contam Hydrol 120–121:27–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2009.11.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerrou J, Renard P (2010) A numerical analysis of dimensionality and heterogeneity effects on advective dispersive seawater intrusion processes. Hydrogeol J 18:55–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laabidi E, Bouhlila R (2015) Nonstationary porosity evolution in mixing zone in coastal carbonate aquifer using an alternative modeling approach. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22:10070–10082. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4207-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mejía JM, Rodríguez-Iturbe I (1974) Correlation links between normal and log normal processes. Water Resour Res 10:689–690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nurmi R, Standen E (1997) Carbonates, the inside story. Middle East Well Eval Rev 18:27–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Parkhurst DL, Appelo C (1999) User’s guide to PHREEQC (Version 2): a computer program for speciation, batch-reaction, one-dimensional transport, and inverse geochemical calculations Water-resources investigations report, vol 99, p 312

  • Phillips OM (1991) Geological fluid dynamics: sub-surface flow and reactions. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Price RM, Herman JS (1991) Geochemical investigation of salt-water intrusion into a coastal carbonate aquifer: Mallorca Spain. Geol Soc Am Bull 103:1270–1279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pulido-Leboeuf P (2004) Seawater intrusion and associated processes in a small coastal complex aquifer (Castell de Ferro, Spain). Appl Geochem 19:1517–1527

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purser BH (1980) Sédimentation et diagenèse des carbonates néritiques récents: les éléments de la sédimentation et de la diagenèse vol 1. Editions Technip

  • Romanov D, Dreybrodt W (2006) Evolution of porosity in the saltwater–freshwater mixing zone of coastal carbonate aquifers: an alternative modelling approach. J Hydrol 329:661–673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2006.03.030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanz E, Ayora C, Carrera J (2011) Calcite dissolution by mixing waters: geochemical modeling and flow-through experiments. Geologica Acta 9:67–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Singurindy O, Berkowitz B, Lowell RP (2004) Carbonate dissolution and precipitation in coastal environments: laboratory analysis and theoretical consideration. Water Resour Res 40:W04401. https://doi.org/10.1029/2003WR002651

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor GI (1953) Dispersion of soluble matter in solvent flowing slowly through a tube. Proc R Soc Lond A 219:186–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu T, Sonnenthal E, Spycher N, Pruess K (2006) TOUGHREACT—a simulation program for non-isothermal multiphase reactive geochemical transport in variably saturated geologic media: applications to geothermal injectivity and CO2 geological sequestration. Comput Geosci 32:145–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2005.06.014

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ezzeddine Laabidi.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Laabidi, E., Ben Refifa, M. & Bouhlila, R. Porosity change in heterogeneous and isotropic limestone coastal aquifer during mixing of seawater and freshwater. Carbonates Evaporites 35, 75 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-020-00608-2

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-020-00608-2

Keywords

Navigation