Assistant Professor FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Coastal regions, such as Miami-Dade County in the southeastern US, face heightened risks of seawater intrusion into their groundwater tables due to the interconnected hydraulic structures and the impending sea level rise. Miami-Dade County's vulnerability stems from the landward shift of the freshwater-seawater boundary. The situation is exacerbated by climate change. By analyzing future coastal climate conditions in relation to the groundwater table and monitoring groundwater levels, we can develop solutions. To investigate this, we incorporated downscaled future precipitation predictions from General Circulation Models (GCMs) and integrated them with sea level rise conditions forecasted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For climate change projections, we employed the GCMs for two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), SSP 245 and 585, coupled with the Intermediate High and High Sea Level Rise Scenarios, for observing saltwater intrusion due to rising sea levels. We utilized the Urban Miami-Dade (UMD) Model, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department. This model simulates the canal leakage to the Biscayne aquifer beneath Miami Dade County, the canal's seepage from this aquifer, and encompasses the Seawater Intrusion (SWI2) Package to mimic seawater intrusion, calibrated and validated for the Miami-Dade region. Our objective is to equip stakeholders with the knowledge needed for decision-making by helping them take forward-thinking steps to mitigate the challenges posed by seawater intrusion due to climate change and sea level rise into Miami Dade County's groundwater table by integrating climate change projections and the appropriate sea level scenarios.
