New study advances our understanding of the concerns related to rising groundwater
Jan 18, 2023
Featured in the Los Angeles Times, Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, KneeDeep Times, Marin Independent Journal, KQED, KALW, and ABC News, a new study sheds light on the hazards presented by rising groundwater. Pathways Climate Institute and SFEI have collaborated to produce maps that show where shallow groundwater, tied to sea-level rise, is an issue today and where it is likely to be a concern in the future as seas continue to rise. Traditional levees and floodwalls designed to keep coastal floodwaters out may not provide protection from rising groundwater, leaving communities at risk of flooding from below. As a result, our Bay Area communities must re-evaluate their current adaptation plans to account for this additional source of flooding.
The Pathways-SFEI team produced interactive maps and a storymap, all collected on the project page.
- LA Times: New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater
- Mercury News: New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level, groundwater
- KQED: New Study Finds Rising Groundwater Is a Major Bay Area Flooding Risk
- SF Chronicle: New map shows where rising groundwater in Bay Area adds flood risks
- KneeDeep Times: New Maps Reveal Bay Area Flood Threat From Below
- SF Examiner: Rising groundwater is coming for your basement...and everyone's parking garages, sewers, and transportation systems
- Marin IJ: Marin's heightened flood risks illustrated in new study
- KALW: New study focuses on flood risks from sea level rise & rising groundwater
- ABC News: Study uncovers underground flood risk in Bay Area due to storms, climate change
Associated Staff:
Other Contributors:
Kris May, Pathways Climate Institute
Kristina Hill, UC Berkeley
Abby Mohan, Pathways Climate Institute
Programs and Focus Areas:
Environmental Informatics Program
Resilient Landscapes Program
Shoreline Resilience
Related Projects, News, and Events:
Shallow Groundwater Response to Sea Level Rise (Project)
The response of shallow groundwater to sea-level rise is a relatively new field of study. For low-lying coastal communities, sea-level rise adaptation efforts must consider the potential for groundwater rise to avoid maladaptation. The need to better understand this slow and chronic threat was identified as a critical data gap in the San Francisco Bay Area’s adaptation efforts during the Bay Area Groundwater and Sea-Level Rise Workshop in 2019.