Accelerating sea level rise has also meant a rise in shallow fresh groundwater in California, putting water supplies at risk from exposure to pollution. Scientists employed a new method to assess that risk and recently released their findings in a new report.
What's happening?
Researchers from California State University, Long Beach, used deep learning and explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) models to determine California's risk of polluted groundwater exposure from sea level rise along the state's coast.
While most advanced AI models make decisions that involve the use of complex math, they don't tell us the reasons they arrived at those decisions. XAI helps to explain the how and why behind those decisions.
The team from Cal State Long Beach used this advanced technology to assess groundwater contamination risks from rising seas that could potentially impact half a million Californians by the end of the century. Rising oceans push groundwater closer to the surface, where it can mix with pollutants from old factories, landfills, and sewage plants, contaminating the water.
Projections indicate that by 2100, approximately 500,000 people in California may reside in areas where groundwater is likely to become contaminated. A significant number come from communities of color or lower-income areas, who already face more health and safety challenges.
Why is this study important?
The study titled "Assessing risk of groundwater pollution exposure from sea level rise in California" was published in Science of the Total Environment, a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The new methods that scientists have developed to identify which communities are most vulnerable to groundwater pollution and to determine the factors driving this risk can be applied by communities around the world.
The latest annual State of the Climate report issued by the American Meteorological Society revealed that sea levels hit a record high in 2023. It was the 12th straight year that sea levels have risen. Glaciers continued to melt in 2024, the warmest year on record globally.
Officials in California cited data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that projects a possible sea level rise of one foot in the San Francisco Bay Area by 2025. Marin County officials are urging the residents of Northern California to prepare for the consequences.
What's being done about the risks of rising sea levels?
Our warming world is supercharging extreme weather events as harmful heat-trapping gases are acting like steroids for weather. Several scientists are calling for a new category to be added to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Stronger storms coupled with rising sea levels mean storm surges can move further inland to cause more damage.
Reducing harmful carbon pollution by ending our reliance on dirty energy and switching to renewable sources is critical. The choices we make at home, like upgrading to LED bulbs, unplugging energy vampires, and opting for an induction stove instead of a conventional range, can make an impact.
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Rising sea levels increase risks to the health and safety of people who live in coastal communities around the world.
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