Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID GU_2023_BLAZ_1

Study of tectonic and freshwater plubming system history based on marine terraces

Institute: Guam
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $30,676 Total Non-Federal Funds: Not available

Principal Investigators: Dr. Blaž Miklavič

Project Summary: The northern part of the island is capped with uplifted limestone with a series of marine terraces that allow studying of past periods of stable sea level. Sea level controls the position of the freshwater lens and respective mixing zones with seawater and vadose water. Mixing zones are areas where secondary porosity formation is most intense and large underground cavities form. Both, high porosity as well as the cavities control the underground plumbing and storage of large amounts of freshwater and are hence key in understanding the Northern Guam lens aquifer (NGLA) behavior and its water storage. NGLA supplies 90% of Guam’s population freshwater needs.