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Rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

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Re: Rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

#11

Post by colechristensen »

mensetmanusman wrote: post #6

It’s basically a foregone conclusion that the water levels will rise and envelop a large number of properties that exist due to the value of coastal real estate. Humans, because we are mostly water, love being close to water and seeing water. The question in my mind is whether we will get a waterworld type situation, or if everything will be left to be destroyed and we will re settle the new coasts.

There isn't enough water for a "waterworld situation", the icecaps have been completely gone in the distant past and there were rainforests near the poles.

There also won't be a singular event that will be over, coasts are going to slowly walk inland.

Re: Rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

#12

Post by mikey_p »

cookingmyserver wrote: post #2

Is the ground water near a coast line brackish?

Yes, I know there are parts of Orange County that have water injection wells that pump water into the ground along the coast to keep fresh water in the aquifer to prevent it filling with brackish water. Some googling around shows it might be called the Talbert Seawater Intrusion Barrier.

Re: Rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

#13

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

dwater wrote: post #9
cookingmyserver wrote: post #2

Is the ground water near a coast line brackish?

Yes, and it's an increasing problem for coastal communities. https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/conservation/saltwate...

Climate change is going to cause a lot of increasing problems. Brackish groundwater, loss of drinking water, fires, flash floods in areas that have never experienced them or been designed to cope with them, large scale flooding, loss of farmland, loss of commercial areas including ports and transport hubs, tornadoes, hurricanes, and larger and more damaging storms - generally creeping loss of habitable infrastructure, and increasing damage to supply chains.

Anyone who thinks owning a property somehow insulates them from change is going to be in for nasty surprises.

Re: Rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

#14

Post by outworlder »

colechristensen wrote: post #11
mensetmanusman wrote: post #6

It’s basically a foregone conclusion that the water levels will rise and envelop a large number of properties that exist due to the value of coastal real estate. Humans, because we are mostly water, love being close to water and seeing water. The question in my mind is whether we will get a waterworld type situation, or if everything will be left to be destroyed and we will re settle the new coasts.

There isn't enough water for a "waterworld situation", the icecaps have been completely gone in the distant past and there were rainforests near the poles. There also won't be a singular event that will be over, coasts are going to slowly walk inland.

There was dry land in Waterworld.

Re: Rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

#15

Post by technothrasher »

mensetmanusman wrote: post #6

It’s basically a foregone conclusion that the water levels will rise and envelop a large number of properties that exist due to the value of coastal real estate. Humans, because we are mostly water, love being close to water and seeing water. The question in my mind is whether we will get a waterworld type situation, or if everything will be left to be destroyed and we will re settle the new coasts.

> Humans, because we are mostly water, love being close to water and seeing water.

I've heard plenty of attempts to explain thalassophilia, but I have to admit I've never heard that one.

Re: Rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

#16

Post by wccrawford »

outworlder wrote: post #14
colechristensen wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There isn't enough water for a "waterworld situation", the icecaps have been completely gone in the distant past and there were rainforests near the poles. There also won't be a singular event that will be over, coasts are going to slowly walk inland.

There was dry land in Waterworld.

That most people thought was a myth.

Re: Rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

#18

Post by shadowgovt »

TheOtherHobbes wrote: post #13
dwater wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, and it's an increasing problem for coastal communities. https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/conservation/saltwate...

Climate change is going to cause a lot of increasing problems. Brackish groundwater, loss of drinking water, fires, flash floods in areas that have never experienced them or been designed to cope with them, large scale flooding, loss of farmland, loss of commercial areas including ports and transport hubs, tornadoes, hurricanes, and larger and more damaging storms - generally creeping loss of habitable infrastructure…

If anything, owning a property ties one to the fate of a geographic location, and the oncoming climate change means the function and utility of lots of geography will change rapidly.

Re: Rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

#19

Post by phicoh »

There is one thing I don't understand about the article. The rise in groundwater level should follow the average increase in sea level. It is not like a big wave would suddenly affect the groundwater level.

Assuming houses last for 50 years and during the next 50 years the sealevel can increase by around 50cm, it should be easy to check if buildings near the coast are high enough that they can accept this change in sealevel.

Of course, damage done by flooding does depend on how big waves are. So you need levees and seawalls long before you get a groundwater problem.

That said, you don't want to pump fresh water out of the ground close to the sea (unless you inject at least as much fresh water). But that is independent of sealevel rising.

Finally, plenty of Dutch houses are built in swamps below sealevel. The technology exists.

Re: Rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

#20

Post by deltree7 »

_Microft wrote: post #5

Someone submitted this a few posts earlier: "The Amazon is turning into savannah – we have 5 years to save it", https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29540946 Two sides of the same coin but the groundwater problem seems easier to solve. Not because it is technically easier but because the incentives for (rich countries) seem to be a lot stronger. Preventing the own area from flooding is way less abstract than indirect…

Capitalism and Free Market.

On an individual basis, apart from zero-cost sustainable habits, if you are capable, become a master of science, attempting to solve energy, material, carbon and climate issue at a physics level. If you are a craftsman, observe all the day-to-day activities of humans, tinker/hack and attempt to solve the same workflows more sustainably.

If you have a solution either through hacks or science, you'll have unbelievable amount of capital coming to you to scale your solution. Capitalists will be tripping over themselves to hand you money.

Here's what will 100% not work -- Activism or Trying to 'Policy' out of your way of Climate Change problems.

Also, no government will ever fund your crazy little idea that has 0.0001% chance of succeeding with 10000x impact. Here's who may fund it -- your favorite evil Billionaire.

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