Tidal effects on transport of
contaminants in a coastal shallow aquifer
Khondaker, A.N.a 
,
Al-Suwaiyan, M.S.a b ,
Mohammed,
N.a ,
Allayla, R.I.a
a King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran,
Saudi Arabia
b KFUPM Box 1979, King Fahd University of Petroleum and
Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
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Abstract
The effects of tidal fluctuations on the spreading behavior of
pollutants in an industrial site located near the Arabian
Gulf was examined. Monitoring wells installed to observe
the flow dynamics indicated that tides have an influence on the water level. A
finite element model was used to simulate both groundwater flow and contaminant
transport in the subsurface environment. The transport process modeling
includes advection and dispersion. After calibration with field data, the model
was applied to investigate the problem of groundwater contamination in the
study area. The study of the tidal effects on the flow dynamics confirmed that
the water table behavior is significantly influenced by the tidal fluctuation
along the coastal boundaries. The model predicted a decrease in concentration
of solute (as TDS) with time under the tidal influence indicating a loss of
solute mass from the study area.