A modelling study of seawater intrusion in the Korba coastal plain, Tunisia

A numerical model that treats density-dependent variably saturated flow and miscible salt transport is used to investigate the occurrence of seawater intrusion in the Korba coastal plain of northeastern Tunisia. We examine the effects of and interplay between pumping, artificial recharge, soil/aquifer properties, and the unsaturated zone. The data processing steps undertaken in this study are briefly described, and a critical assessment is given of the data availability and of the requirements for successful monitoring and modeling of seawater intrusion risks in heavily exploited coastal aquifers such as those found in the semi-arid regions of the Mediterranean basin. An idea of the extent of over-exploitation of the Korba aquifer is obtained by examining the pumping and rainfall/infiltration data, and the simulation results support groundwater pumping as the mechanism for and seawater intrusion as the origin of the salt contamination observed in the soils and subsurface waters of the Korba plain.