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Title Groundwater flow and transport at the forest-marsh boundary: A modeling study
Archive All Files / Documents / Publications / Theses - Dissertations
Abstract

The forest-marsh boundary, where tidally influenced salt marshes meet a forested upland, is hydrologically complex due to its multiple water inputs. Groundwater flow and salinity transport at this boundary are not well understood. In order to make predictions about salinity at this boundary as it responds to climatic factors, a two-dimensional model was built to simulate groundwater flow and solute transport at a salt marsh on Sapelo Island, Georgia. After calibration based on observed data from wells at the study site, the model can be used to identify patterns in groundwater movement and solute transport that may influence the vegetation and consequently the migration of the forest-marsh boundary. Additionally, the model is designed to be a first step toward identifying the impacts of press and pulse disturbances, such as sea level rise or drought, on the marsh.

Contributor Sophia C. Sanders
Citation

Sanders, S.C. 2021. Groundwater flow and transport at the forest-marsh boundary: A modeling study. M.S. Thesis. University of South Carolina, Columbia SC USA. 50 pages.

Key Words Freshwater-saltwater interface, Groundwater, high marsh, hydraulic head, models, salinity, SINERR Publication, Student Publication, UGAMI Publication
File Date 2021
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NSF

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grants OCE-9982133, OCE-0620959, OCE-1237140 and OCE-1832178. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.