Aquifers beneath sandy beaches act as land-ocean conduits for groundwater and are active biogeochemical reactors modifying chemical fluxes across the land-sea interface. Subterranean estuaries of high-energy beaches with large tidal and wave amplitudes could be particularly reactive due to the exchange of large seawater volumes and transport of marine derived constituents deep into the subsurface. In this study, we first present a new classification for coastal energy regimes as a function of mean tidal range and mean significant wave height and define the term “high-energy”. We establish a global distribution map of coastal energy regimes and classify porewater study sites in sandy beach aquifers related to their prevalent energy regime. Despite their extensive contribution to the global shoreline, the porewater biogeochemistry of high-energy environments is largely unknown. Through a summary of the few existing porewater studies at high-energy beaches we reveal patterns in morphology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry, describe promising research strategies, and highlight future research avenues in these challenging environments.
Massmann G., Greskowiak J., Degenhardt J., Engelen B., Holtappels M., Meyer R., Müller-Petke M., Moosdorf N., Niggemann J., Pahnke K., Post V., Reckhardt A., Schwalfenberg K., Seibert S., Waska H. and Winter C. (2025) High-energy systems are underrepresented in global porewater studies of sandy beach aquifers. 323: 109424. 10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109424
@article{Massmann2025,
Title = {High-energy systems are underrepresented in global porewater studies of sandy beach aquifers},
Author = {Massmann, Gudrun and Greskowiak, Janek and Degenhardt, Julius and Engelen, Bert and Holtappels, Moritz and Meyer, Rena and Müller-Petke, Mike and Moosdorf, Nils and Niggemann, Jutta and Pahnke, Katharina and Post, Vincent and Reckhardt, Anja and Schwalfenberg, Kai and Seibert, Stephan and Waska, Hannelore and Winter, Christian},
Editor = {},
Year = {2025},
Pages = {109424},
Volume = {323},
Doi = {10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109424},
Abstract = {Aquifers beneath sandy beaches act as land-ocean conduits for groundwater and are active biogeochemical reactors modifying chemical fluxes across the land-sea interface. Subterranean estuaries of high-energy beaches with large tidal and wave amplitudes could be particularly reactive due to the exchange of large seawater volumes and transport of marine derived constituents deep into the subsurface. In this study, we first present a new classification for coastal energy regimes as a function of mean tidal range and mean significant wave height and define the term “high-energy”. We establish a global distribution map of coastal energy regimes and classify porewater study sites in sandy beach aquifers related to their prevalent energy regime. Despite their extensive contribution to the global shoreline, the porewater biogeochemistry of high-energy environments is largely unknown. Through a summary of the few existing porewater studies at high-energy beaches we reveal patterns in morphology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry, describe promising research strategies, and highlight future research avenues in these challenging environments.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Massmann, Gudrun
AU - Greskowiak, Janek
AU - Degenhardt, Julius
AU - Engelen, Bert
AU - Holtappels, Moritz
AU - Meyer, Rena
AU - Müller-Petke, Mike
AU - Moosdorf, Nils
AU - Niggemann, Jutta
AU - Pahnke, Katharina
AU - Post, Vincent
AU - Reckhardt, Anja
AU - Schwalfenberg, Kai
AU - Seibert, Stephan
AU - Waska, Hannelore
AU - Winter, Christian
TI - High-energy systems are underrepresented in global porewater studies of sandy beach aquifers
PY - 2025
SP - 109424
VL - 323
DO - 10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109424
AB - Aquifers beneath sandy beaches act as land-ocean conduits for groundwater and are active biogeochemical reactors modifying chemical fluxes across the land-sea interface. Subterranean estuaries of high-energy beaches with large tidal and wave amplitudes could be particularly reactive due to the exchange of large seawater volumes and transport of marine derived constituents deep into the subsurface. In this study, we first present a new classification for coastal energy regimes as a function of mean tidal range and mean significant wave height and define the term “high-energy”. We establish a global distribution map of coastal energy regimes and classify porewater study sites in sandy beach aquifers related to their prevalent energy regime. Despite their extensive contribution to the global shoreline, the porewater biogeochemistry of high-energy environments is largely unknown. Through a summary of the few existing porewater studies at high-energy beaches we reveal patterns in morphology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry, describe promising research strategies, and highlight future research avenues in these challenging environments.
ER -
