Modelling An Aquifer’s Response To A Remedial
Action In Wadi Suq, Oman
Author(s)
O. Abdalla, O. Satti, K. Al-Rawahy, A. Kacimov
& H. Al-Zarie
Abstract
The present study simulates a predictive alluvium-aquifer’s response to a
proposed remedial action in the Wadi Suq area, Oman. Contamination due to
copper mining and smelting, which was incepted in 1982 and ceased in 1993, has
severely impacted the groundwater quality down the gradient. The major concern
is the increase of salinity as abundant seawater has been used in mining. Saline
plume of an average 35000 mg/l TDS has formed down the gradient from the
dam site and spread towards the coast that represents a hydrogeologic boundary.
The contaminated aquifer, in which groundwater flows for a path of 34 km to the
coast, is composed of unconsolidated alluvium, predominantly gravels and sands
in its upper part and of weathered ophiolite in its lower part. The massive fresh
ophiolite represents the lower hydrogeologic boundary. Though lithologically
different, the aquifer units have been simulated as one unit since the hydraulic
properties are more or less similar.
Remedial efforts that had been carried out so far were deemed ineffective.
The present study proposes a remediation measure by injecting freshwater via
wells into the aquifers. Head and concentration values for the year 1993 were
used as initial heads/concentrations for the steady flow simulation in which the
computed heads/concentrations were matched with the observed ones, whereas
transient flow runs were conducted to predict aquifer’s response with time.
Simulated aquifer response to the injection of freshwater indicates the reduction
of TDS with time and the movement of the plume to eventually discharge into
the Gulf of Oman. Consequently, the proposed remedial action, though
financially challenging, is effectual.
Keywords: Oman, mining, Wadi Suq, MODFLOW, groundwater modelling.
Keywords
Oman, mining, Wadi Suq, MODFLOW, groundwater modelling.
Related Book
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