Author(s)

C. Karamperidou, E. Karamperidou & K. L. Katsifarakis

Abstract

In this paper a preliminary study of the coastal aquifer of Eleftherae-N. Peramos, Greece, which suffers from seawater intrusion, is presented. Flow inside the aquifer is simulated by means of a numerical code combining boundary elements and moving points. A brief presentation of hydrological, geological and water demand data is followed by an outline of the numerical simulation tool. Then, the simplifications of the actual flow field, introduced into the numerical model and their impact on the accuracy of the results are discussed. Two lower water demand scenarios are also investigated. Finally, some ideas to alleviate the local seawater intrusion problem are discussed. Keywords: coastal aquifers, seawater intrusion, boundary elements, moving points. 1 Introduction Sustainable development of coastal aquifers is a very challenging water management issue. Excessive or poorly planned pumping results in seawater intrusion, which, in turn, renders groundwater unusable. The problem is already acute in many areas of the world. Population growth and the trend of concentrating human activities in coastal areas increase the local fresh water demand, for urban and agricultural use. Meanwhile, water resources may tend to reduce at the regional scale, due to unfavorable climatic change (reduction or change of precipitation pattern). Thus, a problem which first appeared in small islands and low precipitation coasts affects already large coastal areas. Management of coastal aquifers has, consequently, attracted the interest of many scientists. Many book chapters (e.g. Oude Essink and Boekelman [1]) and

Keywords

coastal aquifers, seawater intrusion, boundary elements, moving points.