Salinization problems in the NEGB: results from thermohaline simulations

The occurrence of salty waters close to the surface is a well-known problem in the North East German Basin. Previous numerical simulations showed that near-surface brine occurrences are due to the interaction of hydrostatic and thermally induced forces (mixed convection). The influence of hydraulic permeabilities and thermal conductivities on the observed patterns remained an open question. Based on a hydro-geochemical dataset, thermohaline simulations are carried out in order to quantify the impact of these physical parameters on brine migration. The results indicate that the salinity and temperature profiles are strongly controlled by hydraulic permeabilities and can locally be influenced by thermal conductivities.