Hydrochemical facies evolution diagrams of groundwater wells in coastal aquifers of El Salvador, 2013-2023.
Description
This dataset supports the research "Salinization of coastal aquifers in El Salvador: an analysis based on the evolution of hydrochemical facies". The study aims to describe the state of the coastal porous aquifers of El Salvador by using evolution diagrams of the hydrochemical facies of 27 monitoring wells during the period 2013 to 2023, and to identify those affected by salinization. The dataset, titled "Datos_HQ_cod_SIMIH.xlsx," comprises 446 measurements of 19 hydrochemical indicators collected from 30 wells located in four coastal aquifers between 2013 and 2022. This monitoring was conducted by the Integrated Water Resources Monitoring System of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of El Salvador (MARN). The information was acquired through a formal written request to the Data and Information Management Office of the Observatory of Hazards and Natural Resources at the ministry. Therefore, this information is not confidential or restricted; it is available for public use and was utilized to create part of the new dataset. The self-built dataset published here contains 451 measurements, segregated into two-year seasons: dry (n=200) and rainy (n=251). It includes additional hydrochemical data monitored in 2023 and the substages classified according to hydrochemical facies to identify salinization processes in wells, following the procedure, calculation tool, and graphical representation developed by Giménez-Forcada (2010; 2019) and Giménez-Forcada and Sánchez-San Román (2015). In addition, other salinization indicators such as: the base exchange index (BEX), the Na/Cl ratio, the Simpson ratio or [Cl/(HCO3 + CO3)] and calcium enrichment [(Ca/(HCO3 and SO4)], applied by Klassen, Allen and Kirste (2014) as well as two groundwater quality indices GQIPiper(mix) and GQIPiper(dom) applied by Hussien (2015) were calculated. The classification of groundwater condition in relation to salinization was improved by contrasting the substages of hydrochemical facies evolution to other index results. Twelve hydrochemical facies evolution diagrams of 27 groundwater wells of four coastal aquifers, six monitored during the dry season and another six during the rainy season, are another important section of this dataset. It ends with a section contrasting the hydrochemical facies determined in the two meteorological seasons, and another that cites the analytical method and the detection or quantification limits for the 19 chemical parameters monitored.
Files
Steps to reproduce
Steps to Follow: 1. First, create hydrochemical facies evolution diagrams for all wells sampled from the coastal aquifer. Ensure that you have the concentrations (in mg/L) of four cations (Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Potassium) and three anions (Bicarbonate, Sulphate, and Chloride). 2. Next, input the concentration data into the Excel macro developed by Giménez-Forcada and Sánchez-San Román (2015) to perform the calculations. 3. Finally, identify whether a groundwater well is undergoing freshening (direct ion exchange) or salinization (reverse ion exchange) by examining the predominant hydrochemical facies in the evolution diagram. References Giménez-Forcada E. Dynamic of seawater interface using hydrochemical facies evolution diagram (HFE-D). Groundwater. 2010;48:212-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2009.00649.x. Giménez-Forcada E. Space/time development of seawater intrusion: a study case in Vinaroz coastal plain (Eastern Spain) using HFE-Diagram, and spatial distribution of hydrochemical facies. Journal of Hydrology. 2014;517:617-27. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002216941400420X?via%3Dihub Accessed 20 Feb 2026. Giménez-Forcada E, Sánchez-San Román FJ. An Excel macro to plot the HFE-diagram to identify seawater intrusion phases. Groundwater. 2015;53:819-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.12280 Giménez-Forcada E. Use of the hydrochemical facies diagram (HFE-D) for the evaluation of salinization by seawater intrusion in the coastal Oropesa plain: Comparative analysis with the coastal Vinaroz plain, Spain. HydroResearch. 2019;2:76-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydres.2019.11.007 Klassen J, Allen DM, Kirste D. Chemical indicators of saltwater intrusion for the Gulf Islands, British Columbia, Final Report. British Columbia Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Canada. 2014. https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/acat/documents/r50327/ChemIndicatorsSWI_1462495790908_2492712699.pdf Accessed 20 Feb 2026. Hussien RA. Groundwater quality index studies for seawater intrusion in coastal aquifer Ras Sudr, Egypt using geographic information system. Middle East Journal of Applied Sciences. 2015;5:209-22. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303767437_Groundwater_Quality_Index_Studies_for_Seawater_Intrusion_in_Coastal_Aquifer_Ras_Sudr_Egypt_Using_Geographic_Information_System Accessed 20 Feb 2026.
Institutions
- Universidad Dr. Andrés BelloSan Salvador Department, San Salvador