title: Numerical modeling of saline water transport in the lower Nam Kam Basin, Amphoe That Phanom, Changwat Nakhon Phanom, Thailand.
abstract: The objective of the project is to establish a conceptual groundwater model over the lower Nam Kam Basin in order to apply a numerical technique for the prediction of the impact of saline water transport due to the proposed weir across the Nam Kam River. Hydrogeological investigations including mapping, drilling, piezometer installations and monitoring were systematically conducted during 1997 to 1998. Brackish groundwater is saturated under the area with a depth of 30-60 m. Groundwater regionally flows from the south (the Phu Phan Range) to the north and discharges to the Nam Kam River. Another direction is from the northern region to the southern region, discharging to the central region. A two-dimensional model was constructed along the principal gradient in the NW-SE direction. There are several local recharge and discharge areas across the Nam Kam floodplain. A local groundwater flow is active within the depth of 2 m to 30 m below the ground surface within the sand and gravel unit. Simulations were calibrated with hydraulic heads and salinity of groundwater in the piezometers. It is found that the recharge and evapotranspiration rates are 1% to 40% of the rainfall and 10% to 15% of a pan evaporation, respectively. The ranges of horizontal hydraulic conductivity to vertical hydraulic conductivity are 0.1 to 0.01. The possible longitudinal dispersivity values of the hydrostratigraphic units are 20 m to 500 m, but the transverse dispersivity is less than the longitude by one order of magnitude. The comparison of calculated heads and measured heads give a root mean square error of less than 1 m. The different salinity concentrations are still in a range of 2000-5000 mg/l. Ten year simulation of saline water transport indicates that the reservoir ponding with water level at +140.5 m above mean sea level may divert groundwater flow and discharging to the northern boundary of the reservoir at Ban Don Kao.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Srisuk
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sriboonlue
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buaphan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Archvichai
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Youngme
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Satarak
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaruchaikul
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005544:Forecasting; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011891:Rain; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013785:Thailand; D014872:Water Movements; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014873:Water Pollutants; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012822:Silicon Dioxide