Three dimensional simulation of seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers: a case study in Goksu deltaic plane

Unplanned exploitation of water from coastal aquifers which have generally over population and fertile agricultural land and irrigated farming activities may cause salt water intrusion in coastal aquifers. The objective of this study was to develop a model to control/prevent the seawater intrusion into the coastal aquifer with a case study at Silifke?Goksu deltaic plane. A computer program for simulation of three?dimensional variable density groundwater flow, SEAWAT, is used to model the seawater intrusion mechanism of Goksu deltaic plane along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The calibration analysis of the developed seawater intrusion model is performed using actual data measured in the field which included static groundwater head, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid and chloride concentration values of 23 observation wells taken in the water year of , 2008 and the existing data were compiled and reviewed. The main objectives of application of the seawater intrusion model to the Goksu deltaic plane are (1) to determine the hydraulic and hydro geologic parameters of the aquifer, (2) to estimate the spatial variation of the salt concentration in the aquifer, (3) to investigate the impact of the increase and decrease in the groundwater extractions and (4) to evaluate the effects of the climate changes on the groundwater resources in coastal aquifer. In the Goksu deltaic plane, to prevent or decrease the impacts of the climate changes has been simulated by three different climate change scenarios and the Goksu deltaic plane aquifer is sensitive especially to the increase in groundwater extraction.