Relict seawater as a source of stratified groundwater in glaciated estuarine valleys: An example from Fredericton Junction, New Brunswick

Abstract

Recent investigation of the local geology and hydrogeological environment for the Village of Fredericton Junction, New Brunswick, identified a lower bedrock aquifer as the main water supply aquifer for both municipal and domestic wells. Within the aquifer, potable water overlies brackish water that increases in salinity at depth. The aquifer is overlain mostly by fine-grained glacial sediments that limit recharge to the lower bedrock aquifer. Recharge to the bedrock aquifer primarily occurs at outcrops along local rivers and from deeper regional groundwater systems. While nearby rivers receive run-off from local roads and municipal areas, geochemistry of the brackish water does not support this water as a source of the saline contamination. Examination of drill records from groundwater exploration within the Carboniferous sedimentary bedrock of New Brunswick indicates that groundwater is commonly stratified, forming a surface zone of fresh water overlying a zone of saline water at depth. While saline intrusion of aquifers is known to be a hazard for coastal communities from disturbance to the freshwater/saltwater interface, drilling records indicate that glaciated estuarine valleys may be especially at risk to salinization exacerbated by unrestricted exploitation. Drilling data demonstrate that saline water is most frequently encountered along valleys that were estuaries during the Late Wisconsinan glaciation, approximately 14 000-12 000 years ago. During that time, many inland valleys were open to the ocean and surrounded by masses of melting ice. it is proposed that saline water from that time has remained preferentially in pockets within the bedrock underlying these valleys.