Over, Under, and Through: Hydrologic Connectivity and the Future of Coastal Landscape Salinization
Abstract Seawater intrusion (SWI) affects coastal landscapes worldwide. Here we describe the hydrologic pathways through which SWI occurs ‐ over land via storm surge or tidal flooding, under land via groundwater transport, and through watersheds via natural and artificial surface water channels—and how human modifications to those pathways alter patterns of SWI. We present an approach to advance understanding of spatiotemporal patterns of salinization that integrates these hydrologic pathways, their interactions, and how humans modify them. We use examples across the East Coast of the United States that exemplify mechanisms of salinization that have been reported around the planet to illustrate how hydrologic connectivity and human modifications alter patterns of SWI. Finally, we suggest a path for advancing SWI science that includes (a) deploying standardized and well‐distributed sensor networks at local to global scales that intentionally track SWI fronts, (b) employing remote sensing and geospatial imaging techniques targeted at integrating above and belowground patterns of SWI, and (c) continuing to develop data analysis and model‐data fusion techniques to measure the extent, understand the effects, and predict the future of coastal salinization.
Authors
- Adam Gold (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0921-0384)
- Gregory B. Noe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6661-2646)
- Marcelo Ardón (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7275-2672)
- Nicholas Ward (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6174-5581)
- Jamie A. Duberstein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2787-5515)
- R. E. Emanuel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2166-1698)
- Kyra H. Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9759-2019)
- Holly A. Michael (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1107-7698)
- Stephen Moysey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5361-5426)
- M. Sirianni
- P. James Dennedy‐Frank (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9148-647X)
- Hanne Borstlap
- Scott C. Neubauer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8948-2832)
- Kevin M. Befus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7553-4195)
- Jeeban Panthi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9410-8244)
- John S. Kominoski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0978-3326)
- Ashley M. Helton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6928-2104)
- Elnaz Pezeshki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0589-4552)
- Alex K. Manda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3163-2353)
- Lawrence E. Band (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0461-0503)
- Allison Myers‐Pigg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6905-6841)
- Justine A. Neville (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3160-5363)
Institutions
- United States Geological Survey (US)
- Northeastern University (US)
- Environmental Defense Fund (US)
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (US)
- North Carolina State University (US)
- University of Connecticut (US)
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (US)
- Duke University (US)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (US)
- East Carolina University (US)
- Kansas State University (US)
- Florida International University (US)
- Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
- Eastern Ecological Science Center
- University of Virginia (US)
- University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (US)
- Clemson University (US)
- University of Delaware (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Water Resources Research
- Published
- 2025-06-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1029/2024wr038720
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Coastal and Marine Dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.01
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Office of Science
- Biological and Environmental Research