Seismic Imaging to Manage Salt Water Intrusion in Benin, West Africa: Challenges in an Urban, Coastal Environment
Bradford, John H. (Boise State University) | Lindsay, Kyle (Boise State University)
Summary The coastal city of Cotonou in Bénin, West Africa, is a large population center that is facing a serious threat to the sustainability of its fresh water supply. It relies on the Godomey aquifer for domestic water supply. The aquifer is undergoing saltwater intrusion and this problem is likely to worsen without significant steps to improve management of the water supply. The continuity of the aquifer and saltwater flow paths are poorly understood but this information is critical to ensure sustainable access to fresh water in this growing urban center. In January, 2012, we began a two year geophysical investigation with the prime objective of using seismic reflection to image the primary aquifer units. Logistics in this congested urban environment are complicated and seismic coverage is sparse because of limited access. Despite these problems, our initial results show that the aquifer units are substantially more complicated than previously thought; critically, there is an ~60m deep paleo-channel that cuts through a substantial portion of the aquifer system and truncates multiple aquifer/aquitard boundaries. This channel likely has a major impact on the aquifer hydrology that has not previously been taken into account.
SEG-2013-1481
September, 2013
- Country:
- Africa
- Benin (0.74)
- West Africa (0.64)
- Africa
- Geology:
- Geology (0.97)
- Geophysics:
- SPE Disciplines:
- Technology:
- Information Technology (0.49)