Relationship of Climate Change to Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers

Abstract

Scientific consensus has established that climate change over the next century will cause a significant rise in global mean sea level. a confluence of factors places this rise to be between 0.25 meters and 0.95 Meters, with a 95% confidence interval. Along with compounding issues like changes in the precipitation cycle, this rise in sea level will impact groundwater resources, particularly in sensitive areas such as coastal aquifers. As a reasonable understanding of the dynamics of aquifer systems has been developed, the actual impact on these groundwater resources can be estimated. moreover, they should be estimated in order to help prepare robust water management strategies for coastal communities. a preliminary investigation is conducted within this work, for the case study of the Californian Oxnard-Mugu Aquifer, employing the hydrostatic balance relationships established by Ghyben and Herzberg, and by Glover, in their now standard works on groundwater hydrology.