The SALTWATER SCOR Working Group 172 met in person in Glasgow.

Please find here the Schedule! 

Dates (local time): 

    – February 21, 2026, Saturday, from 14:00 to 18:30

    – February 22, 2026, Sunday, from 09:00 to 13:00

Venue:

    – Room LT907. Livingstone Tower (LT), 26 Richmond St. The venue is at walking distance from Queen St. Station and George Square in Glasgow city centre.

In this study, a type of artificial intelligence called Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks is used to predict how far saltwater moves into estuaries. Different data types (such as salinity, water levels, wind, and river flow) are combined with computer model outputs to train LSTM networks. Once the network is trained, it is applied to the same data to predict saltwater movements quickly and accurately. The approach is tested on two tidal estuaries and shows that the network works even when some data is missing. However, predicting further into the future is more challenging because short-term events affect saltwater movement. This study shows that LSTM networks can make fast and accurate predictions of saltwater entering estuaries, helping with real-time monitoring and decision-making for coastal protection and water management.

Observations of estuarine salt intrusion dynamics during a prolonged drought event in the Rhine‐Meuse Delta

This study shows that the salt intrusion length mainly depends on the Rhine River discharge. Water level variations associated with storm surges contribute to shortterm variations in salt intrusion length. However, the tidal variations, caused by the spring‐neap cycle do not alter the tidally averaged salt intrusion length. Side branches behave differently from the main river, and their salt intrusion length mainly depends on the downstream salinity. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how
forcing conditions influence salt intrusion in a complex, branched delta.

The severe drought that affected large areas of Europe in Spring and Summer 2022 hit the Po valley (northern Italy) with an intense water scarcity crisis. Productive activities, particularly agriculture, suffered the consequences of water shortage, and the coastal regions of the Po Delta underwent extensive saltwater intrusion. By relying on observed discharge records and on precipitation data from reanalysis and climate models, we analyse the 2022 event in the framework of the recent past statistics and in future scenarios. Alongside with a projection of future rainfall regimes on the Po River basin in two climate change scenarios, our analysis shows that persistent negative rainfall anomalies like the ones that characterised the 2022 event, though unlikely to become a typical feature of future climate, could remarkably increase their frequency, particularly in a severe climate change condition. Moreover, their impacts will be magnified by rising temperatures and, in coastal areas, by rising sea level, enhancing the salinisation of agricultural lands and altering the dynamics of transitional ecosystems. While providing a first quantitative assessment of an event that struck a strategic productive and environmental region of the Italian territory, this brief communication points out the importance of a multi-disciplinary, basin-scale approach to climate change adaptation. 

Saltwater Intrusion in a Mediterranean Delta Under a Changing Climate

Bellafiore, D., Ferrarin, C., Maicu, F., Manfè, G., Lorenzetti, G., Umgiesser, G., Zaggia, L., & Levinson, A. V. (2021). Saltwater intrusion in a Mediterranean delta under a changing climate. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 126(2), e2020JC016437. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016437

This study analyzes saltwater intrusion in the Po Delta. By combining field observations from the drought conditions of 2017 with advanced numerical modeling, researchers have projected how the delta will respond to future climate change scenarios.

The results predict that saltwater intrusion could extend up to 80% further inland, while the time saltwater persists inland is expected to double (100% increase).

Furthermore, the study identifies that while sea-level rise is a contributing factor, the reduction of river discharge—often driven by upstream human activities like dam construction, land use and irrigation—is the primary driver of salt intrusion. 

Effect of hydropower dam flow regulation on salt-water intrusion: São Francisco River, Brazil

Paiva, B. P., Schettini, C. A., & Siegle, E. (2024). Effect of hydropower dam flow regulation on salt-water intrusion: São Francisco River, Brazil. Journal of Marine Systems, 241, 103904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2023.103904

A new study reveals that the construction of hydropower dams on Brazil’s São Francisco River, the fourth largest in Latin America, has drastically altered the river’s estuary, causing a severe increase in saltwater intrusion.

Researchers from our SCOR group found that the regulation of river flow by these dams has significantly reduced river contribution. This reduction has fundamentally increased mixing. The study identified an exponential relationship between the fluvial discharge and salt intrusion.

The overall consequence is that the average salinity in the estuary has increased by a factor of nearly 20 due to this flow regulation.

The findings highlight the need for correct water use and updated water management strategies. 

Spatially Resolved Salt Intrusion Mechanisms in a Tidal Estuary and the Impact of Channel Deepening

Rummel, K., Gräwe, U., Klingbeil, K., Kolb, P., Li, X., Reese, L., & Burchard, H. (2025). Spatially resolved salt intrusion mechanisms in a tidal estuary and the impact of channel deepening. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 130(6), e2024JC022073. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JC022073

Estuarine salinity dynamics are driven by river discharge, tides, and human interventions like channel deepening. This study utilizes a high-resolution numerical model of the North German Weser River Estuary to analyze salt transport mechanisms. We identified an alternating dominance between subtidal shear transport and tidal pumping. By applying a novel two-dimensional decomposition method, we demonstrated that traditional cross-sectional analysis often underestimates transport strength due to opposing flows between channels and shoals. Furthermore, simulations of channel deepening reveal increased subtidal shear transport in dredged areas.

These findings clarify the spatial complexity of salt dynamics and the environmental impact of anthropogenic modifications.

We present here the publication of our latest study on heatwave effects on the saltwater intrusion and river plume extension in the Changjiang River Estuary 

Lin, Y., Wang, Y., Zhu, J., Qiu, C., & Wu, H. (2025). Extreme heatwave affects the saltwater intrusion and river plume extension in the Changjiang River Estuary. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 130(4), e2024JC022287. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2024JC022287

This study investigates heatwave effects on the Changjiang River Estuary and adjacent shelf seas. Results show that direct sea-surface heating intensifies stratification, reducing vertical mixing and increasing surface freshwater retention, while enhanced evaporation raises sea surface salinity. In the estuary, both processes strengthen estuarine circulation, increasing salinity and worsening freshwater shortages. In the river plume region, evaporation-driven salinization overwhelms stratification effects, reducing plume area by 8.52%.

The findings highlight complex coastal responses to extreme climate events.

We’re excited to announce the publication of our latest review paper in Environmental Science & Technology Letters:
“Advancing Environmental Health with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry: Integrating Big Data and Community Science” 

Read the full article here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.estlett.5c00505

This review outlines current challenges and future directions in applying high-resolution mass spectrometry to environmental health, with a focus on community engagement and data transparency.

About two-thirds of global freshwater comes from surface waters like tidal estuaries, which are increasingly affected by saltwater intrusion due to factors such as droughts, sea-level rise, river floods, tides, storm surges, and human interventions like channel modifications and water management. However, the combined impact of these factors—especially during prolonged drought—remains poorly understood. This knowledge gap has gained public attention through reports of salt-contaminated drinking water in tidal rivers. The SCOR Working Group 172 “SALTWATER” aims to address this issue by advancing interdisciplinary research and developing a global synthesis. We welcome contributions on estuarine salt intrusion using theoretical, observational, modeling, or machine learning methods.

We invite contributions highlighting new findings on estuarine salt intrusion processes, using theoretical, observational, numerical, statistical or Machine Learning approaches.