Groundwater flow to the coastal ocean....Fukushima????

[Fledermaus]

So, what's going on at Fukushima???

Groundwater discharge into the coastal ocean generally occurs as a slow diffuse flow but
can be found as large point sources in certain terrain, such as karst. In addition to typically low
flow rates, groundwater discharge is temporally and spatially variable, complicating efforts to
characterize site-specific flow regimes. Nonetheless, the importance of submarine groundwater
discharge (SGD) as a source of dissolved solids to coastal waters has become increasingly
recognized, with recent studies suggesting that SGD- derived chemical loading may rival surface
water inputs in many coastal areas (Moore, 1996; Bugna et al., 1996; Kim et al., 2003). So while
the volume of water discharged as SGD may be small relative to surface discharge, the input of
dissolved solids from SGD can surpass that of surface water inputs. For example, SGD often
represents a major source of nutrients in estuaries and embayments (Krest et al., 2000; Charette
et al., 2001). Excess nitrogen loading can result in eutrophication and its associated secondary
effects including decreased oxygen content, fish kills, and shifts in the dominant flora (Valiela et
al., 1992; Slomp and Van Cappellen, 2004).

http://www.whoi.edu/science/MCG/groundwater/pubs/PDF/Nov06/Encyc_OS_SGD.pdf

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclesummary.html