New season of Slice of PI-CASC
August 22, 2024
Join us in person or online for the season premiere of Slice of PI-CASC!
Date: September 3, 2024 at 12 p.m.
Title: The influence of sea-level rise on coastal groundwater and resulting impacts on municipal infrastructure
Speaker: Shellie Habel, Research Coastal Geologist, Climate Resilience Collaborative
Description: Sea-level rise (SLR) is impacting coastal groundwater by raising water tables and shifting salinity profiles inland, resulting in more corrosive subsurface conditions. Up to 1,546 low-lying coastal municipalities worldwide face various risks from these changes, which can occur decades before the occurrence of surface flooding. Damage is accumulating in infrastructure networks that lie partially or fully underground. Since this damage is largely hidden and not immediately evident, it is often overlooked in infrastructure management and planning. In this presentation, Dr. Shellie Habel will explore the effects of SLR on coastal groundwater, the associated threats to critical infrastructure, and the potential for urban contamination. It also highlights the University of Hawaiʻi Climate Resilience Collaborative’s progress in groundwater monitoring and modeling, multidisciplinary collaborations, and partnerships with agencies to incorporate these considerations into planning efforts.
