{"id":11805,"date":"2025-06-16T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-15T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/?p=11805"},"modified":"2025-06-17T13:18:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T03:18:37","slug":"when-the-flood-comes-from-below-groundwater-sea-level-rise-and-a-hidden-coastal-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/when-the-flood-comes-from-below-groundwater-sea-level-rise-and-a-hidden-coastal-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"When the flood comes from below: Groundwater, sea-level rise and a hidden coastal threat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/tag\/simon-cox\/\">SIMON COX<\/a>, MARC ETTEMA, LEE CHAMBERS, SCOTT STEPHENS, GREGORY BODEKER, QUYEN NGUYEN, <a href=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/tag\/ivan-diaz-rainey\/\">IVAN DIAZ-RAINEY<\/a> AND ANTONI MOORE\u00a0 |\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As climate change accelerates, rising sea levels are visibly redrawing coastlines, triggering coastal erosion, storm surges, and inundation. Yet, another quieter and less visible threat is creeping beneath the surface\u2014<strong>shallow groundwater rise<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In low-lying coastal cities like Dunedin, New Zealand, this rising groundwater isn\u2019t just a future concern. It\u2019s already affecting infrastructure, compounding flood risks, and presenting complex challenges for urban planning and climate adaptation. A recent study led by Simon Cox and colleagues outlines a compelling approach for understanding and forecasting this underappreciated hazard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The hidden role of groundwater in coastal flooding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While most attention focuses on water coming overland\u2014from the sea or sky\u2014<strong>flooding from below<\/strong> is a growing risk in many coastal cities. This occurs as sea-level rise (SLR) causes groundwater to &#8220;shoal&#8221; (move closer to the surface), reducing the ground\u2019s ability to absorb rainfall. Eventually, this leads to <strong>emergent groundwater flooding<\/strong>, where water appears at the surface, sometimes far inland from the coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because groundwater is invisible and poorly mapped, its dynamics\u2014and dangers\u2014are often misunderstood. But as the study shows, it plays a critical role in multi-hazard coastal flood forecasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A case study from Dunedin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Dunedin, researchers installed a network of shallow groundwater monitoring piezometers to observe how tides, rainfall, and sea levels influence groundwater levels. By interpolating this site-specific data, they were able to map:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Current groundwater elevations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Depth to groundwater (DTW)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Temporal variations and trends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spatial responses to tides and rainfall<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This empirical information was then used to <strong>model future scenarios<\/strong> under different increments of sea-level rise. Importantly, the findings revealed that some inland areas\u2014not just those on the shoreline\u2014are most vulnerable due to the shape of the land and subsurface conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why groundwater matters more than you think<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rising groundwater presents a <strong>compound hazard<\/strong>. It can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Increase the frequency of pluvial (rainfall-driven) flooding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compromise building foundations and roads<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Overwhelm ageing stormwater and wastewater systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Redistribute subsurface contaminants<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lead to mould and dampness in homes, with negative public health outcomes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Facilitate saltwater intrusion, damaging freshwater aquifers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The insidious nature of groundwater flooding\u2014often occurring in advance of visible coastal inundation\u2014makes it harder to detect, predict, and defend against.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"602\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/image-3.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11806\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/image-3.jpeg 602w, https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/image-3-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Illustration: Summary of the impact of sea-level rise on groundwater. (Image supplied)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A new approach to forecasting multi-hazard flood risk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The empirical models used in this study offer a <strong>cost-effective and spatially refined<\/strong> method to understand and plan for future groundwater-related hazards. While not as detailed as computationally intensive numerical models, these risk-averse projections are valuable for their spatial and temporal insight, particularly when data and resources are limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crucially, these models can highlight how the <strong>relative contribution of different flood sources<\/strong>\u2014rainfall, sea-level rise, and groundwater\u2014will evolve over time and space. This allows for <strong>adaptive planning<\/strong> that reflects the unique topography, geology, and infrastructure of each coastal area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What this means for coastal communities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The findings from Dunedin underscore a broader truth for cities across the globe: <strong>groundwater hazards are already here<\/strong>, and in many places, they\u2019ll worsen before visible coastal inundation occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This &#8220;flooding from below&#8221; threatens to outpace our capacity to respond unless integrated into multi-hazard planning. Monitoring networks and groundwater-focused geospatial models can give communities a head start\u2014showing <strong>where and when<\/strong> impacts are likely, and helping to prioritise adaptation efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the researchers conclude, the response must be holistic. Understanding and mapping shallow groundwater is a vital step in preparing for the creeping, complex, and often invisible challenges of climate change.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"602\" height=\"264\" src=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/image-4.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11807\" style=\"width:834px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/image-4.jpeg 602w, https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/image-4-300x132.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The<em> community begins to clean up in South Dunedin during floods of 3-4 June 2015. (Photo: John Cosgrove supplied with permission).<\/em><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"author label\">AUTHORS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Simon Cox and Lee Chambers (GNS Science), Marc Ettema (Otago Regional Council), Scott Stephens (NIWA, Wellington), Gregory Bodeker (Bodeker Scientific), Quyen Nguyen and Antoni Moore (University of Otago) and Ivan Diaz-Rainey (<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.griffith.edu.au\/research\/business\/asia-institute\"><em>Griffith Asia Institute<\/em><\/a><em>).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This blog is a synopsis of the research presented in \u201c<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1029\/2024EF004977\"><em>Empirical Models of Shallow Groundwater and Multi-Hazard Flood Forecasts as Sea-Levels Rise<\/em><\/a><em>\u201d by Simon C. Cox, Marc H. J. Ettema, Lee A. Chambers, Scott A. Stephens, Gregory E. Bodeker, Quyen Nguyen, Ivan Diaz-Rainey, and Antoni B. Moore. It draws on insights from the authors\u2019 case study of Dunedin, New Zealand, to explore how rising groundwater contributes to evolving coastal flood risks.<br><br><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SIMON COX, MARC ETTEMA, LEE CHAMBERS, SCOTT STEPHENS, GREGORY BODEKER, QUYEN NGUYEN, IVAN DIAZ-RAINEY AND ANTONI MOORE\u00a0 |\u00a0 As climate change accelerates, rising sea levels are visibly redrawing coastlines, triggering coastal erosion, storm surges, and inundation. Yet, another quieter and less visible threat is creeping beneath the surface\u2014shallow groundwater rise. In low-lying coastal cities like<a href=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/when-the-flood-comes-from-below-groundwater-sea-level-rise-and-a-hidden-coastal-threat\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;When the flood comes from below: Groundwater, sea-level rise and a hidden coastal threat&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":11809,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2063,2142,234,248,1730],"tags":[2478,842,2479,2472,2480,2471,2481,2476,2469,2467,2474,2473,535,2477,2475,2470,2468],"class_list":["post-11805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-green-transition-and-development","category-journal-article","category-publication","category-png-and-the-pacific","category-sdg13","tag-antoni-moore","tag-climate-change","tag-coastal-erosion","tag-coastal-threat","tag-dunedin","tag-flood","tag-flood-risk","tag-gregory-bodeker","tag-groundwater","tag-ivan-diaz-rainey","tag-lee-chambers","tag-marc-ettema","tag-new-zealand","tag-quyen-nguyen","tag-scott-stephens","tag-sea-level-rise","tag-simon-cox"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Jill Moriarty","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>When the flood comes from below: Groundwater, sea-level rise and a hidden coastal threat | Griffith Asia Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"SIMON COX, MARC ETTEMA, LEE CHAMBERS, SCOTT STEPHENS, GREGORY BODEKER, QUYEN NGUYEN, IVAN DIAZ-RAINEY AND ANTONI MOORE\u00a0 |\u00a0 As climate change accelerates, New research shows how shallow groundwater\u2014often overlooked\u2014can silently amplify flood risks in coastal cities. Using empirical models and real-time monitoring in Dunedin, NZ, the study by Cox, Ettema, Chambers, Stephens, Bodeker, Nguyen, Diaz-Rainey &amp; Moore reveals how &quot;flooding from below&quot; may occur well before ocean water overtops coastal defences.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/when-the-flood-comes-from-below-groundwater-sea-level-rise-and-a-hidden-coastal-threat\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"When the flood comes from below: Groundwater, sea-level rise and a hidden coastal threat | Griffith Asia Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"SIMON COX, MARC ETTEMA, LEE CHAMBERS, SCOTT STEPHENS, GREGORY BODEKER, QUYEN NGUYEN, IVAN DIAZ-RAINEY AND ANTONI MOORE\u00a0 |\u00a0 As climate change accelerates, New research shows how shallow groundwater\u2014often overlooked\u2014can silently amplify flood risks in coastal cities. Using empirical models and real-time monitoring in Dunedin, NZ, the study by Cox, Ettema, Chambers, Stephens, Bodeker, Nguyen, Diaz-Rainey &amp; Moore reveals how &quot;flooding from below&quot; may occur well before ocean water overtops coastal defences.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/when-the-flood-comes-from-below-groundwater-sea-level-rise-and-a-hidden-coastal-threat\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Griffith Asia Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/griffithasiainstitute\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-15T22:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-17T03:18:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/groundwater.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Griffith Asia Institute\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GAIGriffith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GAIGriffith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Griffith Asia Institute\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/when-the-flood-comes-from-below-groundwater-sea-level-rise-and-a-hidden-coastal-threat\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/when-the-flood-comes-from-below-groundwater-sea-level-rise-and-a-hidden-coastal-threat\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/person\/8121b8aa336749474cbaca380c03029a\"},\"headline\":\"When the flood comes from below: Groundwater, sea-level rise and a hidden coastal threat\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-15T22:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-17T03:18:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/when-the-flood-comes-from-below-groundwater-sea-level-rise-and-a-hidden-coastal-threat\/\"},\"wordCount\":740,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Antoni Moore\",\"Climate change\",\"Coastal erosion\",\"Coastal threat\",\"Dunedin\",\"Flood\",\"Flood risk\",\"Gregory Bodeker\",\"Groundwater\",\"Ivan Diaz-Rainey\",\"Lee Chambers\",\"Marc Ettema\",\"New Zealand\",\"Quyen Nguyen\",\"Scott Stephens\",\"Sea level rise\",\"Simon Cox\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Green transition and development\",\"Journal article\",\"Publications\",\"Region-PNG and the Pacific\",\"SDG 13 Climate action\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/when-the-flood-comes-from-below-groundwater-sea-level-rise-and-a-hidden-coastal-threat\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/when-the-flood-comes-from-below-groundwater-sea-level-rise-and-a-hidden-coastal-threat\/\",\"name\":\"When the flood comes from below: Groundwater, sea-level rise and a hidden coastal threat | Griffith Asia Insights\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-15T22:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-17T03:18:37+00:00\",\"description\":\"SIMON COX, MARC ETTEMA, LEE CHAMBERS, SCOTT STEPHENS, GREGORY BODEKER, QUYEN NGUYEN, IVAN DIAZ-RAINEY AND ANTONI MOORE\u00a0 |\u00a0 As climate change accelerates, New research shows how shallow groundwater\u2014often overlooked\u2014can silently amplify flood risks in coastal cities. 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