Researchers at the University of Guam have discovered that the rising sea levels may already be leading to saltwater intrusion in drinking-water wells near the island’s coastline.
In a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, researchers used artificial intelligence to examine long-term changes in chloride levels over 40 years. Chloride levels are an indicator of saltwater intrusion.
Freshwater on Guam is stored in underground aquifers that rest above seawater, making them particularly vulnerable to rising ocean levels, according to a news release from the university.
As sea levels rise, saltwater can move farther inland, increasing chloride concentrations in groundwater wells.
The study was conducted by Barry Kim, associate professor at the Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific and Associate Professor of Computer Science Byoungyong Lee, together with collaborators from partner institutions.
Although WERI has documented that 70% of Guam’s production wells have experienced increasing chloride levels since the 1970s, identifying the causes has been challenging because groundwater is influenced by many factors.
The researchers used artificial intelligence to examine how chloride levels changed over time and identified patterns that would have been difficult to detect using conventional analytical methods.
The findings provide new evidence linking climate-driven sea-level rise to changes in Guam's groundwater quality, according to the news release.
The researchers say the results can help inform future water management decisions, including where new wells are developed and how existing wells are managed as climate conditions continue to change.