Global warming and groundwater quality

The increase of energy in the atmosphere is causing a small but persistent imbalance in the budget of the earth's energy. Changes in energy in the long run may produce some impact on the climate of the globe. Measurements show that the average temperature of the earth has risen by at least half a degree during this century. It is also estimated that an increase of one to four degrees Celsius will take place during the next 50 years. As a result, mean water level in oceans and seas will rise by about 0.5 to 1.5 meters during the same period. The quality of groundwater in costal aquifers around the globe will be affected by this phenomenon. According to Ghyben-Herzberg relation, a one meter height of the free water table above the mean sea level ensures a 40.0 meter of freshwater below the sea level. Likewise, a 50 cm rise in the sea level causes a 20.0 meter reduction in the freshwater thickness. The quality of the groundwater in coastal aquifers is mainly dependent on the saltwater intrusion phenomenon. In this paper, the impact of global warming on the groundwater quality is investigated. To that end, two coastal aquifers of known hydraulic and geometric parameters are considered. The density dependent approach is used to better represent the intrusion process. Equiconcentration lines are well established under the expected rise of the seawater level.