Climate Change, Coastal Hazards and Sea Level Climate Change, Coastal Hazards and Sea Level Rise: Resources for PractitionersRise: Resources for Practitioners

Dr. Clark AlexanderSkidaway Institute of Oceanography

University of Georgia

Applied Coastal Research Laboratory Georgia Southern University

• Tropical cyclones (hurricanes)

• Extratropical storms (nor’easters)

• Sea-level rise

• Shoreline erosion

• Localized strong wind

Natural Hazards for Coastal Regions

• Over half of the world’s population lives less than 100 miles from the ocean

• Sea-level is rising in the ocean basins from changing climate

• More extremes in weather

• Increased intensity of tropical cyclones globally

Hurricane/Tropical Storms 1995-2000

Current Sea Level Trends (NOAA)Current Sea Level Trends (NOAA)

www.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov

www.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov

Satellite Altimetry = Absolute “Eustatic” Sea Level Rise

Jason-2 (2008-P)

TOPEX-POSEIDON (1993-2001)

Jason-1 (2001-2008)

NOAA Sea Level Trends for North America

http://www.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov

National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee http://ncadac.globalchange.gov/ Year

Major Consequences of Sea Level Rise

• saltwater intrusion

• storm damage/more frequent flooding

• less efficient drainage and septic systems

• loss of intertidal habitat

• increased shoreline erosion and retreat

A Survey of Web Portals, Viewers and ToolsGeorgia Coastal Hazards Portalhttp://gchp.skio.uga.edu

North Carolina Coastal Atlashttps://www.nccoastalatlas.org/http://coastal.geology.ecu.edu/NCCOHAZ/index.html

USGS National Assessment of Shoreline Change Projecthttp://coastalmap.marine.usgs.gov/national/shorelc/

NOAA Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewerhttp://www.csc.noaa.gov/slr/viewer/

Climate Central - Surging Seashttp://sealevel.climatecentral.org/

US Global Change Research Programhttp://www.globalchange.gov

Governors’ South Atlantic Alliance Coast & Ocean PortalAMBUR Coastal Hazard Vulnerability Assessment Toolhttp://gsaaportal.org/

Clark AlexanderSkidaway Institute of Oceanographyclark.alexander@skio.uga.edu

US Global Change Research Program

http://www.globalchange.gov/

Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise

USGS National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project

http://coastalmap.marine.usgs.gov/national/shorelc/

Shoreline Change Rates

Georgia Coastal Hazards Portal (GCHP) – gchp.skio.uga.edu

NOAA Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer

http://www.csc.noaa.gov/slr/viewer/

Sea Level Rise Scenarios

Georgia Coastal Hazards Portal (GCHP) – gchp.skio.uga.edu

https://www.nccoastalatlas.org/http://coastal.geology.ecu.edu/NCCOHAZ/index.html

North Carolina Coastal Atlas

VA Center for Coastal Resources Management

NOAA Coastal Services Center

http://www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/

NOAA/BOEM Marine Cadastre

http://marinecadastre.gov/tools/

Governors’ South Atlantic Alliance Coast &

Ocean Portal

http://gsaaportal.org/

AMBUR Coastal Hazard Vulnerability Assessment Tool

Gulf of Mexico Alliancehttp://www.gulfofmexicoalliance.org/

Mid Atlantic Alliancehttp://portal.midatlanticocean.org/

West Coast Alliancehttp://portal.westcoastoceans.org/

HVA Team and Partners

Boynton, 2014

All pilot areas ~1000 km estuarine shoreline; variety of shoreline types, public and private ownership; tourism important; robust datasets.

•NC – Nags Head, Rodanthe, Ocracoke, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Pea Island NWR.

•SC – Charleston Co.; N. Edisto R.; Edisto I.; Wadmalaw I.; multiple quads.

•GA – Camden Co.; Kings Bay NSB, Cumberland I. National Seashore.

•FL – Guana Mantanzas Tolomato NERR, NASA, Canaveral National seashore, SJWRMD. Marsh and mangrove habitats.

Pilot Areas

Georgia shoreline change and inundation HVAs

Boynton, 2014

http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/

Surging Seas Submergence Risk Map

Initial Condition2007

2100

SLAMM (v6) Results for Georgia