Assessment of seawater intrusion using geophysical well logging and electrical soundings in a coastal aquifer, Youngkwang-gun, Korea

Abstract

A combination of drilling, geophysical well logging, and electrical soundings was performed to evaluate seawater intrusion in Baeksu-eup, Youngkwang-gun, Korea. The survey area extends for over 24 km2. To delineate the extent of seawater intrusion, 60 vertical electrical soundings (VES) have been carried out. Twelve wells were also drilled for the collection of hydrogeological, geochemical, and geophysical well logging data, to delineate the degree and vertical extent of seawater intrusion. To map the spatial distribution of seawater in this coastal aquifer, geophysical data and hydrogeochemical results were used, and the relation between the resistivity of groundwater and equivalent NaCl concentration was found. Layer parameters derived from VES data, various in-situ physical properties from geophysical well logging, and the estimated equivalent NaCl concentration were very useful for quantitative evaluation of seawater intrusion. Our approach for evaluating seawater intrusion can be considered a valuable attempt at enhancing the use of geophysical data.