A weather forecast for ... salt

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About the research

In coastal regions, freshwater rivers and the salty sea are locked in a constant tug-of-war. Usually, the rivers hold their ground, pushing freshwater out to sea. But during dry seasons or droughts, the tide turns - literally. Seawater can creep inland, turning freshwater sources too salty for drinking.

Enter Sait Mutlu Karahan (VITO - UGent). Using sensors and advanced computer models, he’s developing a kind of "weather forecast for salt." This innovation could help us predict salt levels in advance, ensuring we can safely withdraw drinking water from rivers before they become undrinkable.

 

Environment
Sait Mutlu Karahan
UGent - VITO

Water is constantly on the move, flowing through rivers, gathering in lakes, and stored in reservoirs, quietly shaping landscapes and supporting life. Yet behind this seemingly simple flow lies a complex system influenced by weather, human activity, and environmental change. Understanding what is happening in these waters, in real time, is a major scientific challenge. Sait Mutlu Karahan works on turning this complexity into clarity.  His research focuses on hybrid modelling of surface water systems using online sensor data. 

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