Coastal groundwater – Befus Groundwater Lab

Temperature profiles on beach — Water temperature and pressure monitoring transect on Muri Beach, Rarotonga (from Befus et al., 2013).

Coastal hydro[geo]dynamics

We monitor groundwater dynamics in coastal systems to understand how historic conditions can help us plan for extreme and future events. We want to contribute to the understanding of how groundwater contributes to coastal systems, processes, environments, and habitats.

Current projects

Cartoon showing how a water table rises with sea-level rise.

Sea-level rise hydrologic hazards

Current collaboration with the US Geological Survey developing numerical model-based forecasts of groundwater emergence and flooding hazards.

Project page: CoSMoS-GW

Research products
Our Coast, Our Future Interactive Flood Viewer for California:
ourcoastourfuture.org
Hazard Exposure Reporting and Analytics (HERA) tool:
usgs.gov/apps/hera
Geospatial water table depth data for California:
Available on ScienceBase.gov
Geospatial saline groundwater footprint data for California:
Available on HydroShare.org

Hydrodynamic scenarios and sample strategies for minimizing flooding.

Combating combined flooding hazards

Current collaborative project funded by the NOAA EESLR program

Project page: Exploring ecosystem and community vulnerability to surface and subsurface flooding in Californi a

Upstream view of Herring River Estuary from dike road.

Hydrologic feedbacks in diked wetlands

Current collaboration with the US Geological Survey, funded by the US Coastal Research Program, studying how the hydrologic conditions in diked estuaries will change in the future with sea-level rise and potential restoration efforts.