Salinity and sodicity hazard in water flow processes in the soil

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the distribution of salinity characteristics (electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio) of groundwater, and based on the results, it reports the evaluation of the salinity and sodicity hazards in the fluctuation processes of shallow mineralised groundwater, or in the processes if such groundwater is used for irrigation. The issue was studied for the soil-water environment in the south-east of the Danube Lowlands for the period 1991 to 1994. The measured data and data taken from archives were processed in the form of graphical attachments (appendixes, supplements, graphical documentation) - maps, by means of the kriging interpolation method. Groundwater in the area in question is classified as highly mineralised with a high hazard of salinisation of the subsurface soil environment. The average annual values of the electrical conductivity of groundwater ranged from 600 to 2100 μS/cm in the examined period. The sodium adsorption ratio values ranged from 1.7 to 22.0 and indicate low, medium to high sodium salinisation of the environment due to groundwater. The distribution of electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio on the regional scale can serve as a reference basis for the evaluation of changes in the groundwater salinity after 1994.