Protection and restoration of the environment XI

Water resources management

APPLICATION OF GEOPHYSICAL METHODS TO DETECTION OF

SALINE AQUIFERS AT THE AREA OF AGGELOCHORI,
THESSALONIKI, GREECE

Kesoglou Olympia1, Vargemezis George1, Voudouris Konstantinos1

Department of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki
E-mail: madigloo@hotmail.com, varge@geo.auth.gr, kvoudour@geo.auth.gr

ABSTRACT

The Directive - 2000/60/EC provides a united strategy for the management and protection of waters
in the member states of Europe. In combination with the Directive 2006/118/EC for groundwater,
the main aim of the EU’s Water Policy is to ensure that throughout the Union a sufficient quantity
of good water quality is available for people’s needs and the environment. Furthermore, the
Directive introduces specific measures to achieve the good chemical quality status before 2015. The
present paper deals with the identification and mapping of brackish aquifers in the area of
Aggelochori (Thessaloniki) as well as with proposing measures for groundwater management. For
this reason hydrogeological data were used and geophysical methods as the method of electrical
resistivity tomography (ERT) was applied. The lithological profiles from drilling data were used to
calibrate the values of electrical resistivity. Aquifers have been identified in the geoelectrical
tomographies and realization of hydrogeological profiles are mapped in 2 and 3 dimensions. This
study concluded that there is a strong problem of salinization in the region of Aggelochori due to
the sea water intrusion and as a result the quality of the groundwater throughout the coastal area is
degraded and the water is considered to be not potable. Immediate measures for the sustainable
management of water have been suggested: pumping should be done only from fresh water aquifers
according to the estimated depths that are located and presented at the produced maps and the
quality of groundwater in the area should be systematically monitored and controlled. Finally,
artificial recharge using treated wastewater should be applied in order to decrease the groundwater
quantities for irrigation use.

Keywords
Electrical tomography; coastal aquifer; groundwater quality; seawater intrusion; Aggelochori;
Thermaikos Gulf; Greece

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1. INTRODUCTION

The coastal aquifers are under many pressures, due to rapid urbanization, accelerated tourism
development and agricultural activities (Voudouris et al., 2006). Water needs are mainly covered by
groundwater abstracted from the aquifers via numerous wells and boreholes. As a result, a negative
water balance is established in the coastal aquifer systems triggering seawater intrusion, which has
negative consequences on the socioeconomic development of these areas (Voudouris et al., 2004).
In recent years, many research projects using geophysical methods have been carried out into
seawater intrusion (Frohlich et al., 1994; Myriounis et al., 2006; Vargemezis et al., 2006; Drahor et
al., 2011).

The aim of this work is to investigate the origin of the seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer
systems of the Aggelochori plain, using geophysical data. Firstly, the geological and
hydrogeological regime was examined. Hydrogeological information was the basic information
used for the schedule of the geophysical survey which allowed the further examination of the
geological structure. As a result the mechanism of the seawater intrusion was defined.

2. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA

The study area is located on the eastern part of Thermaikos Gulf at a distance of 32 Km Southeast
of the city of Thessaloniki and covers roughly 13 Km2. The maximum elevation of the area is 50 m
above sea level (Fig. 1). The smooth surface extends to the sea and near the coast is abruptly
interrupted, resulting in the formation of terrace with an elevation of 25-40 m.

The mean annual temperature is 16 oC and the mean annual rainfall is 450 mm (station of the
Macedonia airport, 4 m above sea level). The area is drained by small torrents and the flow in these
torrents is active during the wet period. The most important economic activities in the area are
agriculture and fishery. In the western part of the study area there is the saltpan of Aggelochori,
covering an area of 2.5 Km2. This saltpan is the result of seawater erosion and the transportation
capacity of waves and streams of sea.

Figure 1. Topographic map of the study area.

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3. GEOLOGY-HYDROGEOLOGY

From a geological point of view, the study area is formed of Quaternary deposits consisting of
sands, gravel, sandy clays and Neogene sediments consisting of sandstones and red clays
(Psilovikos & Albanakis, 1981). In the aforementioned deposits a multiple aquifer system is
developed, including a phreatic aquifer superimposed on successive confined aquifers. Groundwater
recharge in the coastal aquifer occurs via the following mechanisms: direct infiltration of rainfall,
infiltration through torrent beds and return flow of water applied for irrigation.

In April 2011 the groundwater level in six boreholes was measured and samples from other six in
the region of Aggelochori were collected. Groundwater flows are mainly from the East toward the
Thermaikos Gulf (Fig. 2). Water level elevations in boreholes increase steeply from the cost to
island. The water table elevation is 0.5-60 m below ground surface (b.g.s.) or -3 to -0.5 m below sea
level (negative piezometry) (Table 1). The water table is highest in May and lowest in October. The
yield of boreholes ranges from 20-65 m3/h. The average hydraulic conductivity value is k=1.4x10-3
m/s, as deduced from the conducted pumping test analyses (Kesoglou, 2011). The overexploitation
of groundwater due to the extensive agriculture has created environmental problems in some
aquifers e.g. sea water intrusion and nitrate pollution.

TABLE 1. Elevation of the groundwater table of the boreholes.

Depth to Surface Groundwater elevation

Code Longitude Latitude groundwater from altitude (a.s.l.) from sea level
number surface (m) (m) (m)

G2 402404 4483394 60 57 -3
G3 401923 4483157 40 39 -1
G4 400436 4483538 23.5 21 -2.5
G5 400568 4482663 1.5 1 -0.5
G8 400334 4481207 0.51 0 -0.51
G10 402160 4481053 30.48 30 -0.48

Figure 2. Piezometric map of the shallow aquifer, showing the boreholes,

where the water level was measured and water samples were collected from.

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The values of physicochemical parameters and major ions of the groundwater from the samples
collected, are presented at the following Tables 2 and 3. The index of Revelle [R=Cl/(HCO3+CO2),
in meq/l] ranges between 0.15 (G11) and 8 (G7). Values greater than 1 correspond to groundwater
affected by mixing phenomena between fresh and seawater (Kesoglou, 2011). High values of
electrical conductivity, dissolved solids and chlorides are recorded in the study area, due to seawater
intrusion. Groundwater from borehole G11, which is far from the coastline, shows the lowest
electrical conductivity (878 ȝS/cm). The highest values of electrical conductivity are recorded in
boreholes G6 and G7, which are exploited the brackish aquifer of the area.

TABLE 2. Physical and chemical parameters for each borehole.

X Y T pH EC TDS Hardness
(ȠC) (ȝS/cm) (mg/l) (of)
G2 402404 4483394 20.3 8.20 1090 854 55.14
G3 401923 4483157 19.8 7.68 1120 1018 66.98
G6 400652 4482244 18.1 7.35 3000 1921 62.53
G7 400604 4481139 19.8 7.74 6440 4013 94.84
G9 402395 4480818 20.6 7.65 1105 710 65.95
G11 405224 4481274 20.9 8.55 878 563 92.92

TABLE 3. Concentrations of major ions in mg/l for each borehole.

Ca2+ Mg2+ Na+ K+ Cl- NO3- SO42- HCO3-

G2 185 12 196 2.5 166 14.09 33.8 429
G3 125 87 99 1.9 118 14.51 24.0 549
G6 155 58 245 7.5 331 0.87 15.7 546
G7 300 48 157 37.7 816 13.45 15.6 366
G9 172 56 87 4.3 114 14.29 44.1 515
G11 96 167 151 3.4 59 7.03 7.03 427

4. GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY

For the groundwater prospection, geophysical survey was conducted in addition to the
hydrogeological study as the data set required for a full hydrogeological survey was incomplete.
The geophysical method applied was the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). Geoelectrical
sections of 1000 meters long and 200 meters at the depth have been scheduled.

4.1 Equipment used

The instrument Syscal Pro of the company Iris was used to record field measurements. This is a
fully automate instrument that injects DC current to measure the apparent resistivity. The maximum
voltage source of the instrument is 800V and produces current that reaches up to 2500 mA. The
accessory equipment was-two multichannel cables at the length of 500 m, electrodes made of steel
with high mechanical strength and conductivity, GPS to record the points as well as computer for
data transfer and processing.

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4.2 Electrical tomography

Electrical tomography is considered one of the most important geophysical tools for the
underground survey (Tsourlos, 1995; Tsourlos et al., 2007; LaBrecque & Yang 2001). As a
combination of profiling and sounding, it aims to image the distribution of the values of electrical
resistivity in 2 or 3 dimensions. At the study area the dipole-dipole array was used (Fig. 3) and nine
(9) tomographies of 1000 m have been measured (Fig. 4). Twenty one (21) electrodes were placed
at a separation of 50m and thus achieving a 1000 m line in length and 200 m in depth. The inversion
program used, for the processing of the data, was the DC2PRO (Kim, 2009).

Figure 3. Dipole – Dipole array.

Figure 4. ERT lines and lithological sections.

4.3 Results of geophysical survey

Inversion of geoelectrical data has been done for every ERT line data set. The images of the
geoelectrical model are presented in Figure 5. Generally the formations with very low resistance
(blue color) indicate salinization, while those with very high resistivity (red color) correspond to
unsaturated zones. Formations of values 5- 15 Ohm.m are showing probable salinization (yellow
color), while in the range between 30-40 Ohm.m (green color) fresh aquifers are attributed.

Then, with the cross examination with wells data collected in the study area a calibration of the
values of the electrical resistivity models with the geological formations that correspond to each
section was performed. In Figure 6 an example of such a cross examination of the T8 borehole is at
the 650 m of the tomography C. The same procedure was applied for the rest of the tomographies
where boreholes data were available, resulting in the following table (Table 4).

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Figure 5. Geoelectric models of the tomographies.

Figure 6. Calibration of the values of the electrical resistivity of tomography C on the basis of the
lithological section of borehole T8.

Therefore, identification of four (4) aquifers was achieved based on quality, two (2) brackish and
two (2) freshwater. In the SW part of Aggelochori (tomographies C, D, F and I) a shallow brackish
aquifer is located, while approximately at the same location a second deeper freshwater aquifer
(tomographies A, C, F and I) is detected. In addition, on the eastern side, two other aquifers were
also identified, an overlying fresh aquifer (tom. A, B, G, H and E) and an underlying brackish
aquifer (tomographies A, B, G and E) (Fig. 7). It is pointed out that, the values of chemical
parameters of the groundwater samples correspond fully with the model suggested by the
geophysical survey.

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TABLE 4. Calibration of the values of the electrical resistivity (Ohm.m).

CALIBRATION
GEOLOGICAL FORMATION ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY
(Ohm.m)

Conductive formations 0–5

Formations of clay 5 – 10
Clayey sand soils 10 – 20
Alternations of clay and sand with gravels 20 – 30
Marly formation with gravels 30 – 50
Sandstones - Marly formation 50 – 80
Calc tufa > 80

Figure 7. Geological models of the tomographies.

5. CONCLUSION-DISCUSSION

A multiple aquifer system is developed in Quaternary and Neogene deposits in Aggelochori area.
Taking into account the results of the chemical analyses performed on water samples from
boreholes, it is concluded that the coastal aquifer systems show signs of deterioration, due to
salinisation and the groundwater is characterized as not potable.

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In general, the presence of salinisation in the study area is intense, as two aquifers were
contaminated by seawater intrusion as it is shown from the electrical tomographies. The main cause
of groundwater pollution is the excessive pumping of aquifers. As the natural recharge of
groundwater reserves is conducted in slow rates in comparison with the need for usable
groundwater which exceeds the capacity of the coastal aquifer system, the seawater begins to enter
inland resulting in the degradation of freshwater quality.

To protect water from further degradation immediate measures should be taken leading to the
sustainable groundwater management in the study area. With attention to the seriousness of the
salinization problem, estimated maps were produced. These maps could be used for planning
policy, management and contamination assessment. The maps provide information in three
dimensions, showing the estimated position and thickness of aquifers, in order to allow to everyone
interested to be able to identify the appropriate points in each part of Aggelochori for pumping fresh
groundwater and the points at which the pumping would further degrade the groundwater quality.

Below are presented the 4 (derivatives) maps (Figs 8, 9, 10, 11), which correspond at the 4
aquifers. The estimated maps were created according to the absolute altitude of points (not
calculating the raise of ground). The maps delineate the formations in 3 dimensions. The color scale
shows the thickness of each formation. The values in the curves correspond on the one hand to the
depth where is the interface of the two underlying layers (depth roof) and on the other hand to the
depth where stops the appearance of the other two overlying layers (depth floor).

At some points we observe that the depth of the ceiling of the underlying brackish layer is over the
sea level probably due to the existence either of brackish sediments or to over-pumping
subsequently water level decline. In the shaded area within 1 Km from the coastline, drilling
boreholes has been banned with decision the Region of Central Macedonia, protocol number 2358
adopted on 22/06/2007. The (estimated) positions suggested for pumping groundwater are within
the limits where freshwater aquifers is identified, while at the limits of brackish formations is
required to cease pumping to prevent further pollution and degradation of aquifers. Furthermore,
control of overpumping and reduction of groundwater abstraction should be applied in coastal
aquifers, that are affected by seawater intrusion.

Figure 8. Estimated location of the overlying Figure 9. Estimated location of the underlying
fresh aquifer at the area of Aggelochori. fresh aquifer at the area of Aggelochori.

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Figure 10. Estimated location of the underlying Figure 11. Estimated location of the overlying
brackish aquifer at the area of Aggelochori. brackish aquifer at the area of Aggelochori.

In general, the drilling of new boreholes in the study area should be avoided. These aforementioned
measures might require changes to the irrigation system e.g. the application of water-saving
techniques such as spray irrigation and drip irrigation. For this reason training courses should be
organized in order to educate farmers in using methods to optimize water use. The application of
artificial recharge is appropriate for the area of Aggelochori. Artificial recharge increases the
groundwater level, so as to maintain it over the sea level and prevent seawater intrusion (Van
Houtte & Verbauwhede, 2005). The water used for artificial recharge may come from treated
wastewater, with the condition that they have been sterilized in accordance with the regulations and
standards which are prescribed by law (Directive 91/271/EU). Artificial recharge with reclaimed
wastewater effluents has been successfully used worldwide to control water depletion in
overexploited aquifers (Tsagarakis et al., 2004; Voudouris, 2011).

In the study area there is the sewage treatment plant Aineia and probably the artificial recharge
using treated wastewater can be a solution to the problem of groundwater quality degradation. The
sewage treatment plant is treating waste waters of the Municipality of Thermaikos, which end up in
the Thermaikos Gulf. According to the data quality provided by Thessaloniki Water Supply and
Sewage Company (E.Y.A.Th) the quality of treated wastewater is very high and complies with the
requirements of Greek and European legislation in all parameters. Therefore, further processing of
the treated water (ultrafiltration and/or inverse osmosis) could be exploited for the artificial
recharge of brackish coastal aquifers of the wider area of Aggelochori and for making the water
usable for irrigating in accordance with the parameters, given by the World Healthy Organization.

The restoration of water quality from salinization is a process that requires time. In the case of non-
implementation of these proposals, the intrusion of the sea and the mixture of fresh and salt water
will continue, eventually leading to complete degradation of aquifers, which would make the water
unsuitable for every use.

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