Application of GALDIT index to assess the intrinsic vulnerability to seawater intrusion of coastal granular aquifers

Groundwater within coastal aquifers is considered a very sensitive natural resource since its quantity and quality is threatened by anthropogenic activities as well as global and climate changes. The major environmental hazard with respect to coastal aquifers is the phenomenon of seawater intrusion, and is more pronounced in the Mediterranean basin. In the light of smart management of such hydrogeological systems, GALDIT index was introduced in the form of a numerical ranking system that aims to assess the vulnerability of such aquifers to seawater intrusion. This paper provides an application of GALDIT vulnerability index for a typical Mediterranean alluvial aquifer under variable hydrogeological conditions in different research periods (1992 and 2004). The results proved the significance of the piezometric conditions of the aquifer with respect to its vulnerability to seawater intrusion.