Assessing the Response of the Biscayne Aquifer Underlying Miami-Dade County to Climate Change and Sea Level Rise PDF Download

Author: Mohammad Sadeq Ahmadi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Civil engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Florida is more at risk of sea level rise (SLR) and climate change compared with any other state in the United States. Due to its heavily populated coastal districts, moderately sloping low-lying geography, and strategic economic significance, Miami-Dade County, located in the southeast of Florida, is especially susceptible to SLR and climate change. Miami, which is the county's main metropolis, is frequently listed as one of the most susceptible and prone cities in the world to marine and groundwater flooding. Biscayne aquifer, the extremely pervious and porous (mostly limestone), is overlaid by Miami-Dade County which serves as the principal supply of drinkable water in the area. Thus, it is vital to evaluate the potential impacts of climate change and SLR on the aquifer. This work aimed to assess the response of the Biscayne aquifer to climate change and SLR. An existing coupled groundwater and surface water model has been used for this purpose. The model was built utilizing current hydraulic and hydrogeological data as well as an estimate of where the freshwater and seawater interface is located. The model is based on the MODFLOW-NWT. The projected rainfall values derived from the coupled model intercomparison project phase 6 (CMIP6) and SLR values from the literature were introduced in the model. The model does not have a user interface and this python programming and geographical information system (GIS) tools were utilized to process and present the input and output data. The findings reveal the impacts of climate change and SLR are marine and groundwater flooding and saltwater intrusion. The seawater will flood about 1241 km2 of coastal areas nearly 42 percent of onshore areas in 2069 under worst scenario due to SLR combined with low topography. Due to the high-water table brought on by SLR, roughly 2082 km2 the area is also vulnerable to groundwater floods. Although it is anticipated that water consumption would rise due to population expansion, saltwater intrusion limits the amount of freshwater that is available, making it unpredictable when households will have access to water. Therefore, while developing policies and plans for the county, policymakers and planners must consider the dangers brought on by SLR and climate change.