Genetic categories

Main class of origin

Genetic category or salinization mechanism

Typical environment at the time of origin

A0 Marine origin

A1. Connate saline water

Coastal zone (off-shore)

A2. Intruded by marine transgression

Coastal zone (off-shore)

A3. Intruded by recent incidental flooding by the sea

Coastal zone (on-shore)

A4. Laterally intruded sea water

Coastal zone (on-shore)

A5. Intruded sea water sprays (aerosols)

Coastal zone (on-shore)

A6. Mixture of A2 (marine transgression) and A3 (recent incidental flooding by sea)

Coastal zone (on and off-shore)

A7. Mixture of A1 (connate water), A2 (marine transgression) and A3 (recent incidental flooding by sea)

Coastal zone (on and off-shore)

B0 Terrestrial origin - natural

B1. Produced by evaporation (concentration)

Shallow water-table zones in arid climates

B2. Produced by dissolution of subsurface salts

Zones of salt tectonics or regional halite or other dissolvable formations

B3. Produced by salt filtering membrane effects

At depth in thick sedimentary basins containing semi-permeable layers

B4. Emanated juvenile water and other products of igneous activity

Regions of igneous activity

B5. Mixture of B1 (evaporation) and B2 (dissolution)

Shallow water-table zones in arid climates and aquifers containing dissolvable formations

C0 Terrestrial origin - anthropogenic

C1. Produced by irrigation (input of concentrated residual water)

Arid and semi-arid zones; shallow depths

C2. Anthropogenically polluted groundwater

Anywhere on earth, particularly in modern consumptive societies

D0 Mixed origin

D0 Saline groundwater produced by mixing an A-, B- or C-class mineralized groundwater with fresh water or with another type of saline groundwater.

Anywhere on earth; hydraulic gradients facilitate the mixing processes