Abstract.A numerical, density dependent groundwater model is set up for the North Sea Island of Borkum to estimate climate change impacts on coastal aquifers and especially the situation of barrier islands in the Wadden Sea. The database includes information from boreholes, a seismic survey, a helicopter-borne electromagnetic (HEM) survey, monitoring of the freshwater-saltwater boundary by vertical electrode chains in two boreholes, measurements of groundwater table, pumping and slug tests, as well as water samples. Based on a statistical analysis of borehole columns, seismic sections and HEM, a hydrogeological model is set up. The groundwater model is developed using the finite-element programme FEFLOW. The density dependent groundwater model is calibrated on the basis of hydraulic, hydrological and geophysical data, in particular spatial HEM and local monitoring data. Verification runs with the calibrated model show good agreement between measured and computed hydraulic heads. A good agreement is also obtained between measured and computed density or total dissolved solids data for both the entire freshwater lens on a large scale and in the area of the well fields on a small scale.For simulating future changes in this coastal groundwater system until the end of the current century, we use the climate scenario A2, specified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and, in particular, the data for the German North Sea coast. Simulation runs show proceeding salinisation with time beneath the well fields of the two waterworks Waterdelle and Ostland.The modelling study shows that the spreading of well fields is an appropriate protection measure against excessive salinisation of the water supply until the end of the current century.

A numerical variable-density groundwater model is set up for the North Sea Island of Borkum to estimate climate change impacts on coastal aquifers and especially the situation of barrier islands in the Wadden Sea. The database includes information from boreholes, a seismic survey, a helicopter-borne electromagnetic survey (HEM), monitoring of the freshwater-saltwater boundary by vertical electrode chains in two boreholes, measurements of groundwater table, pumping and slug tests, as well as water samples. Based on a statistical analysis of borehole columns, seismic sections and HEM, a hydrogeological model is set up. The groundwater model is developed using the finite-element programme FEFLOW. The variable-density groundwater model is calibrated on the basis of hydraulic, hydrological and geophysical data, in particular spatial HEM and local monitoring data. Verification runs with the calibrated model show good agreement between measured and computed hydraulic heads. A good agreement is also obtained between measured and computed density or total dissolved solids data for both the entire freshwater lens on a large scale and in the area of the well fields on a small scale. <br><br> For simulating future changes in this coastal groundwater system until the end of the current century we use the climate scenario A2, specified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and in particular the data for the German North Sea coast. Simulation runs show proceeding salinization with time beneath the well fields of the two waterworks Waterdelle and Ostland. <br><br> The modelling study shows that spreading of well fields is an appropriate protection measure against excessive salinization of the water supply until the end of the current century

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With the aim to be able to estimate climate change impacts on coastal aquifers and especially the situation of barrier islands in the Wadden Sea a numerical model is set up for the North Sea island of Borkum. The work is done in the frame of the EU Interreg project CLIWAT. The database includes information from drillings, seismic measurements, an airborne electromagnetic survey (HEM) and monitoring data from two vertical electrode chains as well as measurements of groundwater table, pumping and slug tests, water samples. The groundwater model has been set up by the finite-element programme FEFLOW. The density driven flow model can be calibrated successfully on the base of hydraulic, hydrological and geophysical data. Verification runs with the calibrated model show a good agreement for the measured and computed hydraulic heads and the measured with computed TDS-data. This is the case as well on a large scale for the whole freshwater lens as also on a small scale in the area of the well fields.