Increasing threat of coastal groundwater hazards from sea-level rise in California
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Data Release: USGS data release - Projected responses of the coastal water table for California using present-day and future sea-level rise scenarios
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Projected sea-level rise will raise coastal water tables, resulting in groundwater hazards that threaten shallow infrastructure and coastal ecosystem resilience. Here we model a range of sea-level rise scenarios to assess the responses of water tables across the diverse topography and climates of the California coast. With 1 m of sea-level rise, areas flooded from below are predicted to expand ~50–130 m inland, and low-lying coastal communities such as those around San Francisco Bay are most at risk. Coastal topography is a controlling factor; long-term rising water tables will intercept low-elevation drainage features, allowing for groundwater discharge that damps the extent of shoaling in ~70% (68.9–82.2%) of California’s coastal water tables. Ignoring these topography-limited responses increases flooded-area forecasts by ~20% and substantially underestimates saltwater intrusion. All scenarios estimate that areas with shallow coastal water tables will shrink as they are inundated by overland flooding or are topographically limited from rising inland.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Increasing threat of coastal groundwater hazards from sea-level rise in California |
| Series title | Nature Climate Change |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41558-020-0874-1 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Year Published | 2020 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Nature |
| Contributing office(s) | Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center |
| Description | 7 p. |
| First page | 946 |
| Last page | 952 |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Online Only (Y/N) | Y |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |