SALINA- SALine INntrusion in coastal Aquifers: Hydrodynamic Assessment and Prediction of Dynamic Response.
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Abstract
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Organisations
Publications
Al Kubaisy J
(2023)
A hybrid pressure approximation in the control volume finite element method for multiphase flow and transport in heterogeneous porous media
in Journal of Computational Physics
Al Kubaisy J
(2022)
A Hybrid Pressure Approximation in the Control Volume Finite Element Method for Multiphase Flow and Transport in Heterogeneous Porous Media
in SSRN Electronic Journal
Hamzehloo A
(2022)
Modelling saline intrusion using dynamic mesh optimization with parallel processing
in Advances in Water Resources
MacAllister D
(2019)
Characterizing the Self-Potential Response to Concentration Gradients in Heterogeneous Subsurface Environments
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
Rowan T
(2023)
3D-printed Ag-AgCl electrodes for laboratory measurements of self-potential
in Geoscientific Instrumentation, Methods and Data Systems
| Description | We have demonstrated through laboratory and field experiments, backed up with numerical modelling, that Self-Potential (SP), an electrical signal generated by the movement of a salt water - freshwater interface, can provide a percursor for saline intrusion. In particular, we have shown that changes in SP profiles in boreholes are an important way of detecting this effect. This has been confirmed through achieving one of the key objectives of the project, which was adding contaminant transport (Hamzaloo et al., 2022) and an electrical model to the dynamic grid meshing code IC-FERST. We have show how SP measurements taken at the breach site on Benone Strand, near Magilligan Point, in Northern Ireland, show tidal forcing signals. This is the second site in the UK where such signals have been detected (Rowan et al., 2024). The results also showed a new feature that hadn't been previously observed, which was the effects of storm surges on SP measurements. This outcome has demonstrated another use for SP measurements in coastal areas. |
| Exploitation Route | We believe this new version of the code is relevant to other areas of environmental modelling and pollution. In addition, we secured £7k of funding from the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers to develop a prototype automated SP logging system. This, in turn, helped us secure further funding to develop and test this automated system through an Impact Acceleration Account award, where we are working with an additional project partner (Affinity Water). This has provided us to with an opportunity explore a further site, Dungeness, a shingle peninsular on the south coast of England. Groundwater from the gravel aquifer is abstracted from a number of wells installed over the headland by Affinity Water. The site is a SSSI and vulnerable to impacts from saline intrusion. Initial results are encouraging and indicate that tidal induced SP signals can are detectable in a completely different geological environment to those previously investigated. This work is being fed into a new joint EPSRC-SFI (Science Foundation Ireland) proposal CASCADE being submitted by Imperial College London, Queen's University Belfast, BGS and University College Dublin. Finally, a new collaboration has been set up between Imperial College London and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), in Brisbane, to investigate the impacts of sugar cane irrigation on salinity management along the Queensland coastline. Prof Adrian Butler and Dr Tom Rowan, along with Dr Lucy Reading (QUT), undertook a preliminary site investigation of the use of SP at a coastal wetland in the vicinity of the Burdekin River (near Townsville). ICL is now funding Prof Butler to work with Dr Reading on collating data and developing a preliminary model, along with a proposal for further funding to investigate this important water and salinity management problem. |
| Sectors | Environment |
| Description | EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account |
| Amount | £119,068 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 05/2024 |
| Title | 3D printed self potential electrodes |
| Description | A bespoke 3D printed electrode which was developed to enable these to be fitted to laboratory equipment. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | A technical note describing the tool has been submitted and is in review. The results show excellent agreement with commercial products but the 3D printing capability provides great flexibility especially in connection with use in laboratory experiments. |
| Title | IC-FERST - Imperial College Finite Element Reservoir Simulator |
| Description | Advanced software tool for simulating groundwater flow, geothermal and underground energy storage systems, self potential |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Improved modelling of ATES systems with application to operational system in the UK Improved modelling of basin-scale fluid flow and metal transport Improved modelling of saline intrusion |
| URL | https://multifluids.github.io/ |
| Title | IC-FERST Groundwater |
| Description | IC-FERST is a research tool developed at Imperial College to model multiphase flow in the subsurface in a highly efficient manner using parallised dynamic mesh optimisation and has been developed to include aqueous phase contaminant transport and an associate geoelectrical solver to simulate subsurface self-potential responses. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | None as yet. |
| URL | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/earth-science/research/research-groups/norms/software/ic-ferst/ |
| Title | IC-FERST - Imperial College Finite Element Reservoir Simulator |
| Description | Advanced software tool for simulating groundwater flow, geothermal and underground energy storage systems, self potential |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | Improved modelling of ATES systems with application to operational system in the UK Improved modelling of basin-scale fluid flow and metal transport Improved modelling of saline intrusion |
| URL | https://multifluids.github.io/ |
| Description | Presentation to members of the hydrogeological group of the Geological Society of London |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | On-line presentation on key outputs from the project to members of the hydrogeological community followed by interactive Q & A. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.hydrogroup.org.uk/new-developments-in-monitoring-and-modelling-saline-intrusion-in-coast... |
| Description | Water industry seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Due to covid the workshop with the water industry was held on-line. The project was presented to industry practitioners. The response was very positive and has led to opportunitie to trial an experimental method developed within the project with three different water companies. This is taking place in summer 2022. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |