Buried deep freshwater reserves beneath salinity-stressed coastal Bangladesh

Huy Le (), Kerry Key (), Michael S. Steckler (), Nafis Sazeed, Mark Person, Anwar Bhuiyan, Mahfuzur R. Khan and Kazi M. Ahmed
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Huy Le: Columbia University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Kerry Key: Columbia University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Michael S. Steckler: Columbia University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Nafis Sazeed: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Mark Person: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Anwar Bhuiyan: University of Dhaka, Department of Geology
Mahfuzur R. Khan: University of Dhaka, Department of Geology
Kazi M. Ahmed: University of Dhaka, Department of Geology

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Aquifer overexploitation and saltwater intrusion threaten freshwater resources in coastal regions worldwide. In Bangladesh, arsenic contamination further reduces shallow freshwater availability. In the coastal zone, much of the shallow groundwater is saline, while the availability of deeper fresh groundwater remains poorly understood. Here, we utilize deep-sensing magnetotelluric soundings to image contrasts in electrical resistivity between fresh and saline groundwater along the Pusur River in the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta. Our data reveal two distinct deep freshwater bodies separated by a high-salinity zone. We propose that these aquifers formed during the Last Glacial Maximum sea-level lowstand and are protected by overlying fine-grained sediments, whereas the Ganges paleovalley incision, followed by marine transgression and deposition, created the saline gap. Our work maps potential resources for this water-stressed region and suggests that the interplay between past sea-level cycles, sedimentation, and hydrogeological processes demonstrated here may also control the distribution of fresh groundwater in other deltas.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65770-4

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