RT Journal Article
T1 Geometry of the modelled freshwater/salt-water interface under variable-density-driven flow (Pétrola Lake, SE Spain)
A1 Sanz, David
A1 Valiente, Nicolás
A1 Dountcheva, I.
A1 Muñoz Martín, Alfonso
A1 Cassiraga, E.
A1 Gómez Alday, J.J.
AB Pétrola Lake in southeast Spain is one of the most representative examples of hypersaline wetlands in southern Europe. The rich ecosystem and environmental importance of this lake are closely associated with the hydrogeological behaviour of the system. The wetland is fed by the underlying aquifer with relatively fresh groundwater—1gL−1 of total dissolved solids (TDS)—with a centripetal direction towards the wetland. In addition, the high evaporation rates of the region promote an increase in the concentration of salts in the lake water, occasionally higher than 80 g L−1 TDS. The density difference between the superficial lake water and the regional groundwater can reach up to 0.25 g cm−3, causing gravitational instability and density-driven flow (DDF) under the lake bottom. The objective of this study was to gain an understanding of the geometry of the freshwatersaltwater interface by means of two-dimensional mathematical modelling and geophysical-resistivity-profile surveys. The magnitude and direction of mixed convective flows, generated by DDF, support the hypothesis that the autochthonous reactive organic matter produced in the lake by biomass can be transported effectively towards the freshwater–saltwater interface areas (e.g. springs in the lake edge), where previous research described biogeochemical processes of natural attenuation of nitrate pollution.
PB Springer
SN 1431-2174
YR 2022
FD 2022-01-11
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/71333
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/71333
LA eng
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN)/FEDER
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN)
NO Comunidad de Madrid
NO Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha
DS Docta Complutense
RD 18 may 2024