Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences
Title : | Quantification of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) and its quality flux (Trace elements and Nutrients) along the Odisha Coast, India: an integrated Time-lapse ERT and Environmental isotopic approach |
Area of research : | Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Rudra Mohan Pradhan, Indian Institute Of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, West Bengal |
Timeline Start Year : | 2022 |
Timeline End Year : | 2024 |
Contact info : | rmp.geol@gmail.com |
Details
Executive Summary : | Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) refers to the movement of groundwater from the continent into the ocean through aquifers or sediments. SGD zones are dynamic and complex, consisting of submarine fresh- and saline recirculated groundwater discharge. These zones influence marine and coastal environments and are crucial for managing groundwater under geogenic and anthropogenic influences. SGD is essential for transporting trace elements and nutrients to the marine ecosystem, and its chemical and isotopic compositions are altered through the discharge path. Some SGD-derived micro and macro-nutrients play a key role in accounting for chemical components in the global ocean. Dissolved nutrients derived from SGD to the coastal system may have harmful effects on the coastal ecosystem. Hydrogeophysical studies have gained attention in recent decades to understand the interaction between groundwater and seawater in coastal areas. Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (TL-ERT) is a cost-effective, practical, and non-destructive method used to measure variations in resistivity over time at fixed locations. It has been applied in various studies in arid-, semi-arid, and humid tropical climates to assess seasonal diffuse and recharges, rainfall, and infiltration. In India, there is a lack of geophysical studies (TL-ERT) in coastal aquifers, so understanding the seasonal and annual SGD dynamics through TL-ERT and natural tracer studies would be significant for socio-environment benefits. This study would provide an estimation of sustainable freshwater availability and help develop a physical model for estimating groundwater potential and nutrient flux. |
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