The editor presents:
The problem of tunnel war became an urgent problem of Israel. There is an opinion that detection of tunnels at the depth where terrorists are digging them is impossible. It's like a well-known and widely disseminated opinion that suppress the terror is impossible by the force.
There are known methods of geophysics to revealing of voids in the Earth's crust. They use gravitational, magnetic, electrical, seismic and radiation methods of exploration. These methods are described in details in the literature. Each of them has some advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps the combined use of these methods will be enabling to detect terrorist tunnels with satisfactory reliability. But the question remains - how to neutralize the detected tunnel.
Here there is presented the article-proposal of famous scientist and geologist that, as can understand, the most rapid, simple and cheap solution to the problem for specific conditions of the Gaza Strip.
All of the above in the header is feasible in a single step. All measures for this purpose are given by the nature itself in the same package. It is sea water and geological conditions. I say so because I know this matter. Probably ten or even more experts in geology of Israel can declare the same. I can say so because I crossed the Coastal aquifer (the right name Pleistocene aquifer) lengthwise and crosswise from Ashkelon to Atlit and shattered into a powder all these sediments/rocks by my hands. It is composed of silty sand to coarse fractions, calcareous sandstones especially spongy and cavernous on the approach to the sea, with layers of fine and very fine sand, layers of sandy loam and loam sometimes up to several meters capacity. Plastic clay found at great depths below the water table.
We are interested in part of the section above the water table. It is the unsaturated zone called also as aeration zone. It is just here worked out and laid tunnels and warehouses. Thus, the problem is formulated as a purely geological solution with adding of hydrogeology and engineering geology knowledge. So there is necessary to make this area impassable for mining such a technological level, which the terrorists from Gaza have in their possession.
Briefly how it is possible. Without invasion into Gaza, i.e. in Israel, but along the border, choose the route along low elevation sites. Using grader or other technique one should to loosen the strip a few meters wide at the upper soil layer or trench. Along this strip, inside it, to drill down wells to a depth of 20m by auger drilling of large diameter of 20 inches or more (available). Wells are needed as a channel for further flooding of the aeration zone. The borehole is desirable to fill in by large gravel and even boulders to prevent imminent silting. Such wells must be placed approximately over 50m or less from each other along the whole of the trench. The drilling one bore may take one (!) hour. Ten rigs can finish all drilling around the border of Gaza with the arrangement of the borehole and wellheads for 2 months of working. In the future, several rigs remain for updating of the park of injection wells. Periodic use of mechanisms to maintain the permeability of the trench bottom will be also good.
Now it's up to the pumps and water lines to be supplied seawater into the trench in its different locations. Water alone will look for cavities, tunnels, drifts, and the like, and the weakened area to seep into them, carrying with them small and silt fraction. All this will turn previously steady sand into the unsteady quicksand. The experts in subsurface work know how it is simple to overcome the quick sanded or karstic water-saturated soils. It's a different story. But hope before that, it will not come. Hamas can only digging by dry. Otherwise, it will not be a mystery.
The costs of operation of the pumping constantly - utter nonsense. And seawater is more than enough. Its amount should be sufficient in the trench so that it should always be as a swamp or pond. This way the boundary of constant pressure should be formed. Preliminary calculations show, the pumps performance in the sum must be about 1,000 m3/h. Of course, the result will not come instantaneously, but the water wears away the stone. Schematically it will be as shown at the picture below.
If you're not to save for sea water, then the slope of groundwater flow in the direction of the sea, will reach the far located underground storages too. If they will not be flooded, then moisturized. Gunpowder dislikes this. Important, there is no risk to soldiers.
Some part of the Israel's side will be also hydrated. But it will be a negligible area. It is because by one and the other sides of the trench there was formed artificially (through the effort of tunnel diggers) two different permeable fields: Israeli, naturally solid, and Gas' - conditionally like karstic. Then you can check on the model and in nature. In any case, there is no harm to Israeli farmers. In the hypothetical case the peace with Gaza will be set up forever, the command "pump off" returns the original state of the nature, but the purpose for which this project was carried out, will be reached completely. It is also possible an option for periodically, e.g., one year, to input of this system in operation, and exit from it for the same or different period.
A side effect 1. Sea water reaches the water table of the aquifer and spoils its quality. Well, don't dig tunnels.
A side effect 2. Some areas at the Israeli side will be formed ponds. They can be turned into a place of commercial fish breeding and fishing, as well as entertainment.
