Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/J016624/1
(Water): Safe-guarding Yorkshire's Water for the twenty-first century and beyond
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Dr KA Selby, University of York, Environment
- Grant held at:
- University of York, Environment
- Science Area:
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Overall Classification:
- Freshwater
- ENRIs:
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- None
- Abstract:
- Sea levels are rising along the Yorkshire coastline and the latest predictions for the Humber Estuary indicate that net sea level rise will be 2.5 mma-1 from 1990-2025 increasing to 7mma-1 from 2025-2055 (1). Recent analysis of tide gauge data at Immingham records that linear trends in mean sea level are 0.54+/-0.39mma-1 and to compound this land subsidence in this area is around -0.78mma-1 (2). Additionally, thermal expansion of water, increased erosion, increased storminess, higher waves (possibly 1.5cm higher per year) and stronger winds are predicted (3). Given that the Holderness coastline is one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe an increase in any of these impacts could have serious and detrimental consequences. Sea level rise also causes changes in groundwater flow in coastal aquifers. As sea level rises, the hydraulic head near the coast increases, causing aquifers to experience decreased groundwater gradients (increased residence times) and salt water intrusion. This affects the quality of the groundwater and has implications for potable water extracted from this source, especially with predicted changes in rainfall, increased demand for water generally and falls in groundwater height. Of primary concern to Water Authorities is the preservation of good quality and plentiful water supplies including both surface and groundwater. In order to maintain sustainable water supplies therefore, the relationship between sea level and groundwater needs to be thoroughly understood. By examining this relationship in the recent past (hindcasting), future relationships can be more accurately predicted and policies better informed. A sea level curve has been produced for the Humber area (4) but detailed high resolution data are absent for the last 1000 years. In order to understand the impacts of future climate change on groundwater supplies long-term data is required. The aim of this project is to produce high quality, high-resolution data from the Humber Estuary that can be used by Yorkshire Water, the Water Authority located within this region, to ensure sustainable, clean, potable water is available in the future. Fieldwork, involving detailed stratigraphical analyses, will be focussed on three specific adits within the Humber catchment, in order to understand the variability of the drift and any buried topography on top of the chalk to elucidate the vulnerability of the source to pollution from surface and subsurface activities. Sample cores will be extracted and diatom analyses undertaken in the laboratory to establish the salinity of the environment when the sediments were laid down and thus, altitude of sea level. An innovative approach utilising DNA barcoding will also be tested to ascertain what the diatom communities are like and whether the techniques are viable in an applied setting. This technique, if successful, would represent an innovative, cost- and time- effective alternative to traditional microfossil techniques and would provide additional training for the student. A chronology of the sediments will be provided by radiocarbon dating to establish an age/depth relationship of changes in sea level. The data generated will be input into recently developed groundwater models such as the distributed finite element model in the MODFLOW format, to aid future prediction of sea level trends. The research findings will be published in key peer-reviewed journals for dissemination amongst the academic community and the results made available to the public through outreach events (e.g. posters, pamphlets, school visits) and on the Yorkshire Water website. 1.Shennan, I. and Horton, B.P. 2002 J. of Quaternary Science, 17, 5-6, 511-526; 2.Woodworth, P.L. et al. 2009. Geophysical Journal International, 176, 19-30; 3.Alexandersson, H. et al. 2000: Clim. Res. 14:71-73; 4.Metcalfe, S. et al. 2000. J. Geological Society Special Publication. 166: 97-118.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/J016624/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Open CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £71,868
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Fees | Total - Student Stipend | Total - RTSG |
|---|---|---|
| £13,812 | £48,285 | £9,772 |
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