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Hauptverfasser: Cai, Xun, Qin, Qubin, Kirwan, Matthew, Michael, Holly, Shen, Jian, Mach, Katharine J., Raymond, Peter
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.07127
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author Cai, Xun
Qin, Qubin
Kirwan, Matthew
Michael, Holly
Shen, Jian
Mach, Katharine J.
Raymond, Peter
author_facet Cai, Xun
Qin, Qubin
Kirwan, Matthew
Michael, Holly
Shen, Jian
Mach, Katharine J.
Raymond, Peter
contents Saltwater intrusion is a critical challenge to coastal ecosystems, impacting freshwater resources, biogeochemical cycles, and habitat stability. While relevant studies often focus on the long-term trends of salinity, its episodic variability and resulting ecological disturbance remains underexplored. Here, we introduce the concept of "coastal salt waves" - periods of elevated salinity anomalies, akin to heat waves - to better characterize extreme salinity events and emphasize their significance. Using cases studies, we show that coastal salt waves exhibit significant spatial and temporal variability based on their duration, intensity, frequency, cumulation, and timing, with drivers and impacts that may differ from gradual saltwater intrusion. In years with similar average salinity, salt waves may still vary greatly in characteristics like intensity, resulting in varying environmental impacts. Furthermore, systems without rising average salinity may still face more frequent or intense salt waves. This framework supports monitoring and management strategies to mitigate coastal salinization risks.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_07127
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Recognizing Salt Wave Events in Coastal Systems
Cai, Xun
Qin, Qubin
Kirwan, Matthew
Michael, Holly
Shen, Jian
Mach, Katharine J.
Raymond, Peter
Geophysics
Saltwater intrusion is a critical challenge to coastal ecosystems, impacting freshwater resources, biogeochemical cycles, and habitat stability. While relevant studies often focus on the long-term trends of salinity, its episodic variability and resulting ecological disturbance remains underexplored. Here, we introduce the concept of "coastal salt waves" - periods of elevated salinity anomalies, akin to heat waves - to better characterize extreme salinity events and emphasize their significance. Using cases studies, we show that coastal salt waves exhibit significant spatial and temporal variability based on their duration, intensity, frequency, cumulation, and timing, with drivers and impacts that may differ from gradual saltwater intrusion. In years with similar average salinity, salt waves may still vary greatly in characteristics like intensity, resulting in varying environmental impacts. Furthermore, systems without rising average salinity may still face more frequent or intense salt waves. This framework supports monitoring and management strategies to mitigate coastal salinization risks.
title Recognizing Salt Wave Events in Coastal Systems
topic Geophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.07127