Dike-subsurface Barriers Assessment for Sea Level Rise Adaptation and Saltwater Intrusion Control in Groundwater Aquifers
Presented on Thursday, December 17, 2015
Carlos Tamayo, Civil, Engineer, M.S.1 and Héctor R. Fuentes, Ph.D., P.E., B.C.E.E.2, (1)Civil & Environmental Engineering, Florida International University, Davie, FL, (2)Civil & Environmental Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Numerous regions worldwide have been struggling against the encroachment of the ocean for a long time and climate change effects continue to become more frequent through the years. Moreover, sea level rise (SLR) is occurring in coastal environments and poses a major threat to communities and infrastructure. Cities along the eastern coast of the United States are currently being affected by SLR; thus, adaptation is crucial to assure resiliency. In Miami, FL, a large portion of densely urbanized areas within Miami-Dade County are experiencing major investments in infrastructure. Consequentially, the entire area is very vulnerable to effects of climate-change, such as SLR and hurricanes, among others.
Another issue of concern in coastal settings, as is the case of South Florida as well, is saltwater intrusion (SI), which has been increasingly becoming a problem through the years. Among the main reasons for this phenomenon to occur are the excessive withdrawal of groundwater from wells and insufficient replenishment.
In this research, a comprehensive assessment and modeling of dike-subsurface barrier systems (DSBS) for adaptation in coastal areas, at various scales worldwide, as a function of coastal prevailing geology is carried out. The coastal geology of Miami, FL, where a highly porous limestone aquifer exists (i.e., Biscayne Aquifer), is one of the various settings to be considered. Other geologic settings will simulate situations from moderate to low permeability soil media (e.g., Caribbean islands, Hawaii, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, etc.). Providing effective protection against inland (IF) and coastal (CF) flooding and eliminating or minimizing the effects of groundwater flow and piping are the main challenges herein.
Carlos Tamayo, Civil, Engineer, M.S.
Civil & Environmental Engineering, Florida International University, Davie, FL
Carlos Tamayo is a Civil Engineer with a Master’s in Environmental Engineering. He has over 13 years of experience. His master’s project assessed saltwater intrusion in Honduras, which was presented at the 2013 NGWA Conference in San Antonio, TX. For his PhD dissertation, he is computationally engineering solutions for sea level rise. He presented his research at the 2015 NGWA Groundwater Expo. Carlos is currently a full-time employee at the City of Miami Beach, where he is working on innovative engineering solutions for adapting to sea level rise and developing the City’s hydrological and hydrogeological databases and data automation systems.
Héctor R. Fuentes, Ph.D., P.E., B.C.E.E.
Civil & Environmental Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Hector R. Fuentes, Ph.D., PE, BCEE, is a Professor of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at Florida International University. He has been a Consultant to UNESCO, USAID, EPA, NSF, and the Inter-American Development Bank. Fuentes served as National Trustee of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers from 2007 through 2010, representing the Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors. General areas of practice include environmental and water resources engineering, green and sustainable engineering solutions, solid and radioactive waste management, appropriate technologies for developing countries, and Latin American and Caribbean environmental policy.
