Simulated Saltwater Intrusion in the Overburden with 8 ft of Sea Level Rise

This map shows simulated relative salinity in groundwater. Relative salinity is defined here as 0 = freshwater and 1= saltwater and is dimensionless. The map shows relative salinity greater than or equal to 0.1. Surface water relative salinity bounded by MHHW extent (from NH Granit) is not shown. The purpose of this analysis is to estimate the inland extent of saline groundwater in the overburden (unconsolidated deposits) and deep bedrock. Simulations are presented on the NH Coastal Viewer for current conditions with no sea level rise (SLR) and for 8 ft of SLR, a worst-case scenario. The other SLR scenarios were simulated but are not presented on the NH Coastal Viewer. They are available by contacting the principal investigator or other points of contact for this project. Shallow saline groundwater is corrosive to underground infrastructure, and deep saline groundwater may affect the quality of drinking water from deep wells near the coast. This map shows SWI in the overburden with 8 feet of SLR.