Saltwater Intrusion Into a Confined Island Aquifer Driven by Erosion, Changing Recharge, Sea‐Level Rise, and Coastal Flooding
Abstract Aquifers on small islands are at risk of salinization due to low elevations and limited adaptive capacity, and present risks will be exacerbated by climate change. Most studies addressing small‐island saltwater intrusion (SWI) have focused on homogeneous sandy islands and one or two hydraul...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Water Resources Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036394 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850115841445593088 |
|---|---|
| author | S. Stanic N. K. LeRoux A. Paldor A. A. Mohammed H. A. Michael B. L. Kurylyk |
| author_facet | S. Stanic N. K. LeRoux A. Paldor A. A. Mohammed H. A. Michael B. L. Kurylyk |
| author_sort | S. Stanic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Aquifers on small islands are at risk of salinization due to low elevations and limited adaptive capacity, and present risks will be exacerbated by climate change. Most studies addressing small‐island saltwater intrusion (SWI) have focused on homogeneous sandy islands and one or two hydraulic disturbances. We herein investigate SWI dynamics in a layered, confined island aquifer in response to multiple environmental perturbations related to climate change, with two considered in tandem. Our field and modeling work is based on an island aquifer that provides the drinking water supply for an Indigenous community in Atlantic Canada. Observation well data and electrical resistivity profiles were used to calibrate a numerical model (HydroGeoSphere) of coupled groundwater flow and salt transport. The calibrated model was used to simulate the impacts of climate change including sea‐level rise (SLR), storm surge overtopping, changing aquifer recharge, and erosion. Simulated aquifer conditions were resilient to surges because the confining layer prevented deeper saltwater leaching. However, reduced recharge and erosion resulted in saltwater wedge migration of 170 and 110 m, respectively when considered individually, and up to 295 m (i.e., into the wellfield) when considered together. Despite the confining conditions, SLR resulted in wedge migration up to 55 m as the confining pressures were not sufficient to resist wedge movement. This is the first study to harness an integrated, surface‐subsurface hydrologic model to assess effects of coastal erosion and other hydroclimatic stressors on island aquifers, highlighting that climate change can drive extensive salinization of critical groundwater resources. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7038d957901a4786a3e182d205ec60a6 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0043-1397 1944-7973 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Resources Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-7038d957901a4786a3e182d205ec60a62025-08-20T02:36:28ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732024-01-01601n/an/a10.1029/2023WR036394Saltwater Intrusion Into a Confined Island Aquifer Driven by Erosion, Changing Recharge, Sea‐Level Rise, and Coastal FloodingS. Stanic0N. K. LeRoux1A. Paldor2A. A. Mohammed3H. A. Michael4B. L. Kurylyk5Department of Civil and Resource Engineering and Center for Water Resources Studies Dalhousie University Halifax NS CanadaDepartment of Civil and Resource Engineering and Center for Water Resources Studies Dalhousie University Halifax NS CanadaDepartment of Earth Sciences University of Delaware Newark DE USADepartment of Civil and Resource Engineering and Center for Water Resources Studies Dalhousie University Halifax NS CanadaDepartment of Earth Sciences University of Delaware Newark DE USADepartment of Civil and Resource Engineering and Center for Water Resources Studies Dalhousie University Halifax NS CanadaAbstract Aquifers on small islands are at risk of salinization due to low elevations and limited adaptive capacity, and present risks will be exacerbated by climate change. Most studies addressing small‐island saltwater intrusion (SWI) have focused on homogeneous sandy islands and one or two hydraulic disturbances. We herein investigate SWI dynamics in a layered, confined island aquifer in response to multiple environmental perturbations related to climate change, with two considered in tandem. Our field and modeling work is based on an island aquifer that provides the drinking water supply for an Indigenous community in Atlantic Canada. Observation well data and electrical resistivity profiles were used to calibrate a numerical model (HydroGeoSphere) of coupled groundwater flow and salt transport. The calibrated model was used to simulate the impacts of climate change including sea‐level rise (SLR), storm surge overtopping, changing aquifer recharge, and erosion. Simulated aquifer conditions were resilient to surges because the confining layer prevented deeper saltwater leaching. However, reduced recharge and erosion resulted in saltwater wedge migration of 170 and 110 m, respectively when considered individually, and up to 295 m (i.e., into the wellfield) when considered together. Despite the confining conditions, SLR resulted in wedge migration up to 55 m as the confining pressures were not sufficient to resist wedge movement. This is the first study to harness an integrated, surface‐subsurface hydrologic model to assess effects of coastal erosion and other hydroclimatic stressors on island aquifers, highlighting that climate change can drive extensive salinization of critical groundwater resources.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036394saltwater intrusionlayered aquifercoastal floodingmorphodynamicsclimate change |
| spellingShingle | S. Stanic N. K. LeRoux A. Paldor A. A. Mohammed H. A. Michael B. L. Kurylyk Saltwater Intrusion Into a Confined Island Aquifer Driven by Erosion, Changing Recharge, Sea‐Level Rise, and Coastal Flooding Water Resources Research saltwater intrusion layered aquifer coastal flooding morphodynamics climate change |
| title | Saltwater Intrusion Into a Confined Island Aquifer Driven by Erosion, Changing Recharge, Sea‐Level Rise, and Coastal Flooding |
| title_full | Saltwater Intrusion Into a Confined Island Aquifer Driven by Erosion, Changing Recharge, Sea‐Level Rise, and Coastal Flooding |
| title_fullStr | Saltwater Intrusion Into a Confined Island Aquifer Driven by Erosion, Changing Recharge, Sea‐Level Rise, and Coastal Flooding |
| title_full_unstemmed | Saltwater Intrusion Into a Confined Island Aquifer Driven by Erosion, Changing Recharge, Sea‐Level Rise, and Coastal Flooding |
| title_short | Saltwater Intrusion Into a Confined Island Aquifer Driven by Erosion, Changing Recharge, Sea‐Level Rise, and Coastal Flooding |
| title_sort | saltwater intrusion into a confined island aquifer driven by erosion changing recharge sea level rise and coastal flooding |
| topic | saltwater intrusion layered aquifer coastal flooding morphodynamics climate change |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036394 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sstanic saltwaterintrusionintoaconfinedislandaquiferdrivenbyerosionchangingrechargesealevelriseandcoastalflooding AT nkleroux saltwaterintrusionintoaconfinedislandaquiferdrivenbyerosionchangingrechargesealevelriseandcoastalflooding AT apaldor saltwaterintrusionintoaconfinedislandaquiferdrivenbyerosionchangingrechargesealevelriseandcoastalflooding AT aamohammed saltwaterintrusionintoaconfinedislandaquiferdrivenbyerosionchangingrechargesealevelriseandcoastalflooding AT hamichael saltwaterintrusionintoaconfinedislandaquiferdrivenbyerosionchangingrechargesealevelriseandcoastalflooding AT blkurylyk saltwaterintrusionintoaconfinedislandaquiferdrivenbyerosionchangingrechargesealevelriseandcoastalflooding |