Seminar

Groundwater flow plays a significant role in geological and biogeochemical processes in coastal environments. Along with groundwater discharge, a large sum of solutes including nutrients, heavy metals, and other contaminants are transported to the open water bodies. The study investigated geochemical reactions and solute transport mediated by groundwater flow in coastal and deltaic environments. The iterative fitting method, numerical simulation, and analytical solutions were used to quantify the impact of wave motions in coastal zones. Field investigations, laboratory analyses, and the paleo-hydrogeological simulation were conducted in a coastal aquifer-aquitard system in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) to assess the evolution of the groundwater system. The paleo-hydrogeological reconstruction concluded that the trapped chemicals in the deltaic aquifer system during the Holocene could have significant contributions to ocean eutrophication and acidification, and the paleo-sedimentary environment changed the groundwater flow systems, as well as the estimated water transit time and the groundwater discharge rate.

Additional information: Mr. Shengchao YU, shchyu@connect.hku.hk