Project Details
Projekt
Global variability of groundwater flow and transport through STEs
Applicants
Rena Meyer, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Nils Moosdorf
Subject Area
Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Limnology, Urban Water Management, Water Chemistry, Integrated Water Resources Management
Oceanography
Oceanography
Term
since 2025
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 431491505
Subterranean estuaries (STEs) under beaches are zones where fresh groundwater and seawater mix, facilitating biogeochemical reactions that significantly influence nutrient and solute fluxes to the ocean. Despite their global importance for near coastal ecosystems, the dynamics of STEs in high-energy coastal environments remain poorly understood. This project seeks to address this knowledge gap by combining numerical and empirical modeling approaches to analyze groundwater flow and solute transport through sandy STEs under various coastal energy regimes. The project builds on the insights and methodologies established during Phase 1 of DynaDeep, which now advances to assessing large-scale variability, global flux estimates as well as the global relevance of high energy STEs in Phase 2. In this context, P7 will integrate numerical modeling with innovative and computationally efficient surrogate modeling approaches to analyze and predict global groundwater and solute fluxes through STEs. The developed surrogate models will facilitate the exploration of STE dynamics under varying environmental conditions, while also addressing the impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise and changes in storm intensity. The project further seeks to create a global classification and mapping of STEs, quantify their fluxes under diverse scenarios, and provide a critical assessment of the associated uncertainties. The outcomes will include a global database of STE dynamics, refined surrogate models, and estimates of water and solute fluxes projected onto global maps, informing both scientific research and policy for sustainable coastal resource management. This project directly addresses global challenges related to coastal ecosystem resilience in the context of climate change, aligning with the broader goals of the DynaDeep research unit.
DFG Programme
Research Units
International Connection
Norway
Cooperation Partner
Dr. Elco Luijendijk
