Grant: Alliance Grants
Dalhousie University
$140,500.00
Climate change impacts on coastal groundwater resources
EF 2024-25
Résumé
This partnership project will investigate the impacts of climate change on groundwater resources used for drinking water supply throughout Nova Scotia. Changes to precipitation and evapotranspiration are leading to dry wells and associated community water supply challenges throughout southern portions of the province. These events are expected to be exacerbated in a warming climate with more frequent droughts and earlier recharge due to mid-winter thaws. Also, rising seas and intensifying storms threaten Nova Scotia's coastlines through coastal flooding and erosion, and these ocean changes can also cause saltwater intrusion into formerly freshwater coastal aquifers. Changes to groundwater salinity may trigger other groundwater quality challenges, including mobilizing sequestered metals and nutrients. Sea-level rise and precipitation changes can also lead to higher water tables that flood onsite wastewater treatment systems from below, compromising water treatment and degrading water quality in aquifers and receiving coastal surface waters. This project will holistically investigate how these interrelated climate threats may impact the quantity and quality of groundwater resources, with a focus on coastal regions of Nova Scotia.
The research program will establish new groundwater observatories in coastal regions of Nova Scotia. Field work will involve well drilling and monitoring, geophysical surveys, drone-based sensing, and water sampling and analysis. Models of groundwater flow and contaminant transport will be applied to better understand how a changing climate may deleteriously impact groundwater resources. The program will train over 15 personnel in critical research topics at the interface of climate change science, hydrogeology, and water management. Researchers from Dalhousie University and Western University are partnering with the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change to ensure the research findings are translated into updated policy and guidelines to safeguard Canada's critical coastal groundwater resources.
Programme
Alliance Grants
Bénéficiaire
Emplacement
Nova Scotia, Canada
Type de bénéficiaire
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
Tel que publié
Application id
591830-2023
Name nom
Kurylyk, Barret BL
Department département
Civil and Resource Engineering
Organization id
79
Institution établissement
Dalhousie University
Province en
Nova Scotia
Province fr
Nouvelle-Écosse
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2024
Competition year année de concours
2023
Award amount
140500
Program id
ALLRP
Program name en
Alliance Grants
Program name fr
Subventions Alliance
Group en
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Group fr
PARTENARIATS DE RECHERCHE
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
702
Area of application group en
Transportation systems and services
Area of application group fr
Services et systèmes de transport
Area of application en
Water
Area of application fr
Maritime
Research subject code
4504
Research subject group en
Hydrology
Research subject group fr
Hydrologie
Research subject en
Groundwater
Research subject fr
Eaux souterraines
Field of research list names en
Not available
Field of research list names fr
Non disponible
Socioeconomic objective list names en
Not available
Socioeconomic objective list names fr
Non disponible
Application title
Climate change impacts on coastal groundwater resources
Keywords
atmospheric climate change; coastal hydrogeology; coastal processes; contaminant hydrogeology; contaminant transport; groundwater pollution; numerical modelling; oceanic climate change; saltwater intrusion; submarine groundwater discharge
Application summary
This partnership project will investigate the impacts of climate change on groundwater resources used for drinking water supply throughout Nova Scotia. Changes to precipitation and evapotranspiration are leading to dry wells and associated community water supply challenges throughout southern portions of the province. These events are expected to be exacerbated in a warming climate with more frequent droughts and earlier recharge due to mid-winter thaws. Also, rising seas and intensifying storms threaten Nova Scotia's coastlines through coastal flooding and erosion, and these ocean changes can also cause saltwater intrusion into formerly freshwater coastal aquifers. Changes to groundwater salinity may trigger other groundwater quality challenges, including mobilizing sequestered metals and nutrients. Sea-level rise and precipitation changes can also lead to higher water tables that flood onsite wastewater treatment systems from below, compromising water treatment and degrading water quality in aquifers and receiving coastal surface waters. This project will holistically investigate how these interrelated climate threats may impact the quantity and quality of groundwater resources, with a focus on coastal regions of Nova Scotia.
The research program will establish new groundwater observatories in coastal regions of Nova Scotia. Field work will involve well drilling and monitoring, geophysical surveys, drone-based sensing, and water sampling and analysis. Models of groundwater flow and contaminant transport will be applied to better understand how a changing climate may deleteriously impact groundwater resources. The program will train over 15 personnel in critical research topics at the interface of climate change science, hydrogeology, and water management. Researchers from Dalhousie University and Western University are partnering with the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change to ensure the research findings are translated into updated policy and guidelines to safeguard Canada's critical coastal groundwater resources.
