A Tale of Two Hydrogeology Problems in Coastal North Carolina

Abstract

This chapter highlights two tales describing the techniques scientists use to investigate how groundwater and surface water in coastal regions are threatened by saltwater intrusion. Crop production and water supply to communities are being increasingly affected. In the first tale, researchers document how they use computer models to determine the mechanisms by which saltwater intrusion is happening beneath a barrier island in North Carolina, USA, that is popular with tourists. The second tale, also from North Carolina, details the extent to which scientists will go to understand saltwater intrusion occurring in natural and artificial channels that traverse low-lying coastal regions.