Three Dimensional Modeling of Saltwater Intrusion Coupled with the Impact of Climate Change and Pumping

摘要

Climate change and its impacts on water resources are becoming increasingly significant in long term forecasting, planning, and management of water resources. The impacts range from erratic patterns of the hydrologic cycle to sea level rise in coastal areas. The rise in sea level and the associated advance in the saltwater-freshwater interface farther inland are investigated using a three-dimensional numerical code called SEAWAT. The impacts of pumping are coupled with the rise in sea level and prescribed recharge based on selected climate change scenarios. A case study considers a hypothetical aquifer of specified parameters and pumping conditions. Based on the results obtained, groundwater pumping coupled with a long term sea level rise exhibits a quantifiably significant accelerated shift of the saltwater-freshwater interface as compared to the scenario where no sea level rise is assumed.