Saltwater Intrusion in Jizan Coastal Zone, Southwest Saudi Arabia, Inferred from Geoelectric Resistivity Survey

Abstract

This work focuses on the causes of water quality deterioration in the coastal plain of Jizan area, southwest Saudi Arabia using vertical electrical sounding (VES) surveys. Schlumberger electrode array is used in the study with the current electrode spacing ranging from 400 to 600 m to delineate the thickness of the shallow aquifer and its possible interaction with the sea water. The differences in resistivity are associated with the variations in lithology and groundwater saturation and salinity. The interpretation of VES curves reveals low resistivity zones characterizing the study area. These zones reflect saline water intrusion in the coastal aquifer. Generally, it is observed that the resistivity of saturated zone decreases towards the sea, indicating the influence of seawater. Based on the interpretation of the constructed resistivity pseudo-sections and 1-D sequential inversion models, three factors are identified to control the seawater intrusion into the shallow groundwater aquifers: 1) presence of faults that contribute extensively in the seawater intrusion as the seawater invades the coastal aquifers through the crushed rocks in fault zones related to the Red Sea rifting, 2) over-withdrawal of groundwater from the coastal aquifers, resulting in saline water intrusion from the sea into the freshwater aquifer, and 3) the lithological variation where the alluvial sediments of the ancient buried wadi (dry valley) channels provide potential pathways for saltwater intrusion and make a hydraulic connection between the aquifer and the sea water.