Evaluating the Impact of Inclined Cutoff-Wall to Control Seawater Intrusion in Heterogeneous Coastal Aquifers

Abstract Subsurface physical barriers have been effectively used to mitigate seawater intrusion (SWI). Traditionally, the primary emphasis in both numerical studies and practical implementations has been on vertical barriers. The current research aims to explore the dynamics of SWI under various cutoff-wall inclination angles and depths, as well as aquifer heterogeneity using both experimental and numerical simulations. The impact of aquifer characteristics was assessed by utilizing a low hydraulic conductivity (K) aquifer (case L), a high hydraulic conductivity aquifer (case H), and two stratified aquifers. The stratified aquifers were created by grouping different hydraulic conductivity layers into two cases: high K above low K (case H/L) and low K above high K (case L/H). The model simulations covered seven different cutoff-wall inclination angles: 45.0°, 63.4°, 76.0°, 90.0°, 104.0°, 116.6°, and 135.0°. The maximum repulsion ratio of SWI wedge length was observed at an inclination angle of 76.0° for cutoff-wall depth ratios up to 0.623. However, as the depth ratio increased to 0.811, the maximum repulsion ratio shifted to an angle of 63.4° for all aquifers studied. At an inclined cutoff depth ratio of 0.811, the cutoff-wall inclination angle of 45.0° had the most significant impact on the saltwater wedge area. This results in SWI area reductions of 74.9%, 79.8%, 74.7%, and 62.6% for case L, case H, case H/L, and case L/H, respectively. This study provides practical insights into the prevention of SWI. Nevertheless, a thorough cost–benefit analysis is necessary to assess the feasibility of constructing inclined cutoff-walls.