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Simulation of Hydrosalinity Behavior Under Skimming Wells

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Irrigation and Drainage Systems

Abstract

The movement of underlying saline water inresponse to freshwater abstraction infresh-saline aquifers is dependent uponaquifer properties, well design andoperational plans. The responses of thesefactors under various well configurationsand pumping modes are important forsustainable freshwater abstraction. In thepresent study, three shallow skimming wellswith different well configurations weremonitored under different pumping modes inthe Indus basin of Pakistan. The field datawere used to calibrate MODFLOW and MT3Dmodels for each well system. The resultsshowed that the selected models have thecapability to simulate both the continuousand intermittent pumping operations inskimming wells. The calibrated models wereused to evaluate the sensitivity of variousaquifers, well design, and operationalparameters. Hydrosalinity of the pumpedwater increased with the increase invertical hydraulic conductivity,longitudinal dispersivity, well abstractionrate, well penetration ratio, and pumpingduration; while increase in horizontalhydraulic conductivity, effective porosity,specific yield, freshwater recharge,transverse dispersivity, and number ofboreholes in multi-borehole skimming wellsdecreased the salinity of the pumpedwater.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore-54890, Pakistan

    M.M. Saeed

  2. Centre for Water Resources Research, Department of Civil Engineering, University College Dublin, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin-2, Ireland

    M. Bruen

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  1. M.M. Saeed
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  2. M. Bruen
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Saeed, M., Bruen, M. Simulation of Hydrosalinity Behavior Under Skimming Wells. Irrigation and Drainage Systems 18, 167–200 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:IRRI.0000040252.33428.3a

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:IRRI.0000040252.33428.3a

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