Research in the News

A new study warns against the profound effects of climate change on groundwater in coastal areas, which is an important water resource for millions of people. The work, led by the University of California in cooperation with other institutes such as the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen, brings together and evaluates current findings from 140 studies on the complex web of climate impacts and anthropogenic influences on coastal groundwater.

With climate change leading to increases in the size and frequency of wildfires, UC Santa Cruz researchers warn that such natural disasters can change the chemistry of nearby streams that people and wildlife depend on for drinking water. However, the researchers found that the baseline water-chemistry data needed to detect such changes aren’t always available.

A pioneering review study published recently in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment has warned about the profound climate change effects on coastal groundwater water quality. The work compiles and discusses the current knowledge of the impact of climate change on coastal groundwaters, a critical water resource for many human populations and a key component of coastal ecosystems.

With climate change leading to increases in the size and frequency of wildfires, UC Santa Cruz researchers warn that such natural disasters can change the chemistry of nearby streams that people and wildlife depend on for drinking water. However, the researchers found that the baseline water-chemistry data needed to detect such changes aren’t always available.

After the CZU Lightning Complex fires tore through the counties of San Mateo and Santa Cruz in 2020, over 86,000 acres of land were left ravaged in its wake. Now, scientists from UC Santa Cruz are looking into the aftermath of the wildfires in nearby watersheds.

Groundwater pumped from subsided islands back into Delta channels can be laden with excess nitrogen transported from island soils, report the authors of a new study.

With Governor David Ige’s signing of Act 120 in June, the state Department of Health edged closer to tackling the public health threat posed by the tens of thousands of cesspools scattered throughout the islands that discharge an estimated 50 million gallons a day of raw sewage into the ground. Act 120 allows owners of eligible cesspools to claim up to $10,000 in tax credits for costs associated with upgrading to a septic or aerobic treatment system or with connecting to a sewer system.