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Ghyben-Herzberg Lens
Name: Merritt
Status: Other
Age: 13
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
Is the Ghyben-Herzberg lens specific to islands?
Could you tell me a bit about it too?
Replies:
Merritt,
A search for ghyben-herzberg on the internet will give you
some references. One good explanation is at
www.geography.about.com/science/geography/library/misc/ucghyben.htm.
Although the lens effect may be most applicable on islands,
a similar effect is seen along sea coastlines, as well as some places
inland (particularly Florida, but I know of a location in
western Pennsylvania also) where a source of salt, and therefore
saltwater, or saltwater itself (even though many miles from the ocean)
is found underground, under the freshwater aquifer. In any case,
removal of freshwater at a rate that exceeds precipitation's
contribution to the freshwater aquifer will result in intrusion of
saltwater into the freshwater aquifer, an undesirable result,
especially when it is being used as a supply of drinking water.
David Cook
Argonne National Laboratory
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Update: June 2012
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