Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling: Credibility of Modelling

(Proceedings of ModelCARE 2007 Conference, held in Denmark, September 2007). IAHS Publ. 320, 2008, 191-196.

 

Geochemical processes and their modelling at the fresh and salt water mixing zone

 

K. JINNO, T. HOSOKAWA, K. AKAGI, Y. HIROSHIRO & J. YASUMOTO

Institute of Environmental Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University,
744 Motooka Nishi-ku Fukuoka, 819-0395 Japan

jinno@civil.kyushu-u.ac.jp 

 

Abstract Oxidation–reduction geochemical processes coupled with mass transport in a coastal aquifer is a unique subsurface environmental phenomenon to model. When a porous material is contaminated by organic carbons, nitrate is denitrified and manganese dioxide and oxi-iron hydroxide would be reduced. However, it is expected that the reduced divalent iron is oxidized once again by seawater when discharged to the sea. The paper discusses a numerical model of transport and geochemical reaction processes along the mixing zone of fresh and reduced salt water in a coastal aquifer. By comparing the numerical solution with experimental observations for the precipitation of divalent iron along the mixing zone, the validity of the model is demonstrated.

 

Key words  coastal aquifer; saltwater intrusion; iron and oxygen transport; oxi-iron hydroxide