Open AccessStochastic Optimization for an Analytical Model of Saltwater Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers
Author(s) -
Paris N. Stratis,
George P. Karatzas,
Evanthia Papadopoulou,
María S. Zakynthinaki,
Y. G. Saridakis
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0162783
Subject(s) - aquifer , saltwater intrusion , stochastic optimization , geology , stochastic modelling , environmental science , petroleum engineering , hydrology (agriculture) , computer science , groundwater , mathematical optimization , geotechnical engineering , mathematics , statistics
The present study implements a stochastic optimization technique to optimally manage freshwater pumping from coastal aquifers. Our simulations utilize the well-known sharp interface model for saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers together with its known analytical solution. The objective is to maximize the total volume of freshwater pumped by the wells from the aquifer while, at the same time, protecting the aquifer from saltwater intrusion. In the direction of dealing with this problem in real time, the ALOPEX stochastic optimization method is used, to optimize the pumping rates of the wells, coupled with a penalty-based strategy that keeps the saltwater front at a safe distance from the wells. Several numerical optimization results, that simulate a known real aquifer case, are presented. The results explore the computational performance of the chosen stochastic optimization method as well as its abilities to manage freshwater pumping in real aquifer environments.