A NASA-DOD study warns that sea level rise and changes in groundwater supplies will lead to widespread saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers by 2100, impacting drinking water, ecosystems, and infrastructure. The study estimates that three out of every four coastal aquifers worldwide will be affected.
Dec 11, 2024Watersheds on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard will be among the areas most affected by underground saltwater intrusion by the year 2100 due to sea level rise and changes in groundwater supplies, according to a NASA-DOD study. NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image on April 21, 2023.Intrusion of saltwater into coastal groundwater can make water there unusable, damage ecosystems, and corrode infrastructure.
Now, two impacts of climate change are tipping the scales in favor of salt water. Spurred by planetary warming, sea level rise is causing coastlines to migrate inland and increasing the force pushing salt water landward. At the same time, slower groundwater recharge — due to less rainfall and warmer weather patterns — is weakening the force moving the underground fresh water in some areas.
All told, due to the combined effects of changes in sea level and groundwater recharge, saltwater intrusion will occur by century’s end in 77% of the coastal watersheds evaluated, according to the study.
Climate Change Sea Level Rise Groundwater Saltwater Intrusion Coastal Ecosystems
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