The Process of Saltwater Intrusion

The Process of Saltwater Intrusion: The figure above illustrates how the process of saltwater intrusion into an aquifer system can occur. The boundary between fresh groundwater and saline groundwater is referred to as the freshwater/saltwater interface.  Fresh groundwater discharging to the coast prevents the landward encroachment of saline groundwater.  If this balance is upset by too much water being removed from the aquifer system from pumping, then saline groundwater can migrate landward by a process referred to as “saltwater intrusion”.  If a pumping well is close to the landward migrating freshwater/saltwater interface, the potential exists for saltwater contamination in the well.  (Public domain)