Sea Level Rise leads to Groundwater Rise

Fresh groundwater floats on top of denser seawater along California coasts. As sea level rises, so will the water table. A rising water table is a potential threat to sites in which hazardous wastes are stored, or sites which have been polluted and need to be cleaned up. Becker, Hagedorn, and Danielle Bram at CSUN will be predicting the relative threat to hazardous waste sites under various sea level rise scenarios. Regulatory agencies and communities will be able to use this information to make informed decisions about mitigation strategies.

This work is funded by the California State University Council on Ocean Affairs, Science and Technology (COAST). COAST also funded other important projects related to sea level rise in California.