Umass Hydrogeologists Develop Innovative Way to Predict Saltwater Intrusion into ...

In Plymouth, Mass., the town's sole source of water is a freshwater aquifer.

But as the oceans rise, that aquifer could become dangerously salty, according to a new study by hydrogeologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

"A well sunk on the freshwater side will flow with sweet water, but one that drills down into the brackish point between fresh and salt will come up briny," study co-author David Boutt tells the Boston Globe.

"Under a high sea-level rise scenario, areas of the aquifer will increase in salinity by up to 17,000 milligrams per liter by 2100," says Alexander Kirshen, a member of the team.

"We found that, under the high sea-level rise scenario, areas of the aquifer will increase in salinity by up to 1.8 meters, by extending a few ponds might see significant rise in water elevation, by up to 1.8 meters, by extending its reach five kilometers offshore," says Kirshen.

The team used an existing US Geological Survey hydrogeological model to study groundwater wells, streams, ponds, and septic systems in the area, as well as future precipitation, sea-level rise, groundwater usage, and changes in water returned to the aquifer.

They found that the highest levels of salinity

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