105 Coastal Hydrogeology in an Age of Rising Seas (Posters)

As sea levels rise, understanding hydrogeology is crucial in coastal areas. Seawater intrusion can lead to loss of potable or agricultural water supplies, and water table rise due to increasing sea level can lead to increased flooding and affect infrastructure.

Monday, 20 October 2025
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
HBGCC, Hall 1

Geophysical and Geospatial Monitoring of Coastal Wetland Dynamics in Texas Gulf Coast: Implications for Coastal Hazard Mitigation

Paper number: 105-0
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

Coastal wetlands are critical ecosystems located at the dynamic interface between terrestrial and marine environments, shaped by the intricate interactions among sediment transport and deposition processes, geomorphology, hydrodynamics, and biogeochemical processes. They offer essential services, acting as a primary defense against storm surge flooding and reducing cyclone wind wave energy. However, the sustainability of coastal freshwater wetlands is increasingly threatened by natural and anthropogenic stressors, including sea level rise and land subsidence. The latter process alters coastal morphology and, in combination with saltwater intrusion, both of which are primarily driven by unsustainable groundwater pumping rates, contributes to the salinization of the soil, leading to a severe decline in freshwater wetlands' spatial extent and significantly reducing the ecosystem services they provide. Wetlands are particularly important in areas such as the Texas Gulf Coast, including regions extending from the Galveston to Beaumont County coasts, where there is a recurrence of cyclone events causing severe devastation, sprawling urbanization extending toward the coasts, and extreme use of groundwater resources to meet the demands of the growing population. This study utilizes an approach that incorporates remote sensing datasets and analysis techniques, including deep learning methods facilitated by GeoAI, and field-based geophysical methods to explore the following key objectives: (1) quantify spatial and temporal changes in coastal wetland extent and type from 2000 to 2024 in response to major stressors; (2) investigate the hydrogeological conditions of the critical zone in areas experiencing declining freshwater wetland coverage, assessing the impacts of environmental stressors on the wetland critical zone using key indicators such as subsurface erosion and other morphological indicators (3) evaluate how shifts in wetland dynamics influence their ability to mitigate cyclone-related hazards and examine corresponding spatiotemporal variations in methane emissions.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-412158

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