Submarine groundwater discharge

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) refers to the flow of fresh groundwater into the sea, which is diffused and can be observed as submarine springs in karstic areas. It is a type of groundwater exchange in coastal aquifers and is an important pathway for carrying chemical components from land to ocean, alongside river discharge. SGD has been recognized as a significant way for terrestrial materials to be transported to the oceans, which can impact the balance of the entire marine ecosystem.From: Handbook of Drought and Water Scarcity [2017], Evaluation of submarine groundwater discharge and associated beach groundwater dynamics [2023], From Headwaters to the Ocean [2019], Utilizing multichannel electrical resistivity methods to examine the contributions of submarine groundwater discharges [2021]

Drought Management in Coastal Areas

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Published in Saeid Eslamian, Faezeh Eslamian, Handbook of Drought and Water Scarcity, 2017

Giovanni Barrocu

Fresh groundwater flow into the sea is generally diffused and can be conspicuous as submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) from submarine springs, as in karstic areas. Thus, it can be well detected by remote sensing and direct observations, and it can be evaluated through a water budget based on observed data (surface runoff, piezometric measurements, pumping tests) [85].

Evaluation of submarine groundwater discharge and associated beach groundwater dynamics

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Published in ISH Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 2023

Poornima Unnikrishnan, Nidhin K, Sooraj Balan, Midhun T M, Reji Srinivas, D.S Suresh Babu

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is the groundwater exchange in coastal aquifers. Influenced by terrestrial factors (topography of the area, aquifer properties, and geomorphology) and marine factors (wave pumping and tidal fluctuations), both fresh groundwater (fresh submarine groundwater discharge (FSGD)) and the recirculated seawater from the seawater-groundwater interface (recirculated submarine groundwater discharge/RSGD) can move from coastal aquifers to the marine environment. At a global scale, 90% of the total SGD is the recirculated SGD, and fresh SGD estimates are only 10% of the total SGD (Kwon et al. 2014).

Submarine groundwater discharge

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Drought Management in Coastal Areas

Evaluation of submarine groundwater discharge and associated beach groundwater dynamics