Abstract:
Aquifers along the coastal regions around the world are facing severe level of saline water
intrusion problems. Rapid development and the associated increase in groundwater
withdrawals intensify the problem. Extensive mapping of migration and extent of salt water
plumes is difficult and costly. Several surficial geophysical methods have been developed
for measuring salinity levels in coastal aquifers. The present study is an attempt to delineate
the saline water and fresh water intrusion in parts of west coast of Maharashtra, India. A total
of 86 vertical electrical soundings were carried out using the Schlumberger configuration.
The contour maps for Dar-Zarrouk parameters viz. the transverse resistance (T), longitudinal
conductance (S), and coefficient of anisotropy (λ) were computed at 84 sites to generate the
resistivity regime of saline and fresh water bearing formations. The results exemplify that the
Dar-Zarrouk parameters provide a practical elucidation in demarcating the saline and fresh
water aquifers, particularly when the resistivity data interpretation encounters constraints due
to intermixing of saline water aquifers, fresh water aquifers etc. Several NE-SW and NW-SE
oriented major lineaments and its cris-crosses have been observed in this region.
