Assessing sea-level rise impact on saltwater intrusion into the root zone of a geo-typical area in coastal east-central Florida

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 630; pp. 211 - 221
• Main Authors: Xiao, Han, Wang, Dingbao, Medeiros, Stephen C., Hagen, Scott C., Hall, Carlton R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.07.2018
• Subjects: Climate Change; Computer Simulation; Conservation of Natural Resources - methods; East-central Florida coast; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring; FEMWATER; Florida; Forecasting; Root zone; Salinity; Saltwater intrusion; Sea-level rise; Seawater - analysis; Wetlands; East-central Florida coast; Root zone; Saltwater intrusion; FEMWATER; Sea-level rise; Salinity
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.184

Saltwater intrusion (SWI) into root zone in low-lying coastal areas can affect the survival and spatial distribution of various vegetation species by altering plant communities and the wildlife habitats they support. In this study, a baseline model was developed based on FEMWATER to simulate the monthly variation of root zone salinity of a geo-typical area located at the Cape Canaveral Barrier Island Complex (CCBIC) of coastal east-central Florida (USA) in 2010. Based on the developed and calibrated baseline model, three diagnostic FEMWATER models were developed to predict the extent of SWI into root zone by modifying the boundary values representing the rising sea level based on various sea-level rise (SLR) scenarios projected for 2080. The simulation results indicated that the extent of SWI would be insignificant if SLR is either low (23.4cm) or intermediate (59.0cm), but would be significant if SLR is high (119.5cm) in that infiltration/diffusion of overtopping seawater in coastal low-lying areas can greatly increase root zone salinity level, since the sand dunes may fail to prevent the landward migration of seawater because the waves of the rising sea level can reach and pass over the crest under high (119.5cm) SLR scenario. [Display omitted] •Saltwater intrusion due to sea-level rise greatly increases root zone salinity level.•FEMWATER models can simulate the extent of saltwater intrusion.•Root zone salinity level is highest in June and lowest in October.