How is California’s rapidly shrinking Salton Sea contributing to dust pollution in the Golden State? This is what a recent study published in Geographies hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated how much dust pollution is occurring from Salton’s receding shoreline, which has been occurring due to water needs transitioning from the Colorado River to San Diego. This study holds the potential to help researchers better understand water management strategies and how to curtail potential environmental catastrophes from them.
“This research was a direct response to a request from the community, which wanted to be involved in impactful research questions to understand shoreline reduction,” said Dr. Ryan Sinclair, MPH, who is an associate professor of environmental microbiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and lead author of the study. “The community wants to be able to live next to a Salton Sea that they’re proud of.”
For the study, the researchers analyzed balloon and satellite images obtained between 2002 and 2021 and estimated the average rate of shoreline loss the Salton Sea experienced during that period. They estimated the shoreline loss averaged 12.53 meters/year between 2002 and 2017 and more than tripled to 38.44 meters/year between 2017 to 2020. They also provided predictions regarding its continued retreat, estimating that between 2030 and 2041 the shoreline is estimated to retreat 22 meters in total. They caution this retreat will contribute to increased dust pollution as a result of the continued shoreline retreat.
Image of balloon mapping being conducted to track the Salton Sea shoreline. (Credit: Loma Linda University)
According to the study, “The model output indicates that the forecasted 20-year increase in exposed playa will also lead to a rise in the amount of suspended dust, which can then be transported into the surrounding communities. The combination of these model projections suggests that, without mitigation, the expanding exposed playa around the Salton Sea is expected to worsen pollutant exposure in local communities.”
How will the receding Salton Sea contribute to dust pollution in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Geographies, EurekAlert!
