Research in the Hydro Lab is broadly focused on coastal groundwater dynamics, groundwater flow and solute transport modeling, groundwater-surface water interactions, water supply sustainability, geostatistical modeling, and hydro-economics. Read below about major themes currently being explored in the lab.

How do multi-scale, cyclical sea level fluctuations affect the salinity in coastal aquifers, and how do extreme events affect the stability of beach surfaces?

Approach: use integrated hydrologic modeling and conceptual modeling to understand the impact of coastal overwash events on aquifer salinization and beach topography.

What are the major drivers of salinization and flooding at the marsh-upland boundary, and how are effects moderated by ecological and geomorphological characteristics as well as the large-scale hydrological setting?

Approach: use timeseries analysis of meteorological, water level, and salinity data to identify drivers of fast and slow responses among and within forested and agricultural sites.

What are the effects of feedbacks between saltwater intrusion and competing water user behaviors in coastal areas?

Approach: use a combination of behavioral economics, field monitoring, and modeling to assess climate change and increased pumping impacts on groundwater salinization and to develop potential management and mitigation strategies.