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IIT Kharagpur study reveals severe cyclones cause deep saltwater intrusion
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News18•06-10-2026, 09:52
IIT Kharagpur study reveals severe cyclones cause deep saltwater intrusion
- •Scientists at IIT Kharagpur have revealed that severe cyclones trigger catastrophic disasters deep beneath the earth's surface.
- •Powerful tropical cyclones like Amphan are causing saltwater intrusion into fresh groundwater aquifers located more than 100 meters deep.
- •This phenomenon is putting the drinking water security of millions of residents in climate-vulnerable regions like the Sundarbans at extreme risk.
- •The research analyzed data from 11 extreme natural disasters between May 2017 and May 2020 using advanced hydrogeochemistry and numerical simulations.
- •Researchers have called for depth-specific water management policies and continuous monitoring to protect multi-layered subterranean water structures.
Key Questions Answered
Powerful tropical cyclones like Amphan cause saltwater intrusion into fresh groundwater aquifers located more than 100 meters deep by rapidly altering water pressure and hydraulic gradients beneath the earth.
Climate-vulnerable regions in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta, such as the Sundarbans, are facing extreme risks to their drinking water security.
Scientists recommend continuous monitoring of multi-layered subterranean water structures, depth-specific water management policies, linking groundwater extraction with extreme weather forecasts, and installing tube wells at safe distances.
