SEA LEVEL RISE ON THE HUDSON RIVER ESTUARY

Estuary: Arm of the sea1. Both fresh and

salt water2. Affected by tides

THE HUDSON RIVER ESTUARY

Sour

ce: N

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Climate Change Impacts1) Climate Change2) Sea Level Rise3) Storm Surge

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY

Climate Change1) Increased

temperatures2) More severe

events3) Changing

ecosystems

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY

Sea Level Rise1) Inundation2) Increased Coastal

Flooding

Storm Surge Events:A New Normal

2011: Hurricane Irene‣ 4.5FT STORM SURGE

2012: Hurricane Sandy‣ 6.25FT STORM SURGE

WHAT IS SEA LEVEL?

HOW DO WE TRACK SEA LEVEL?TIDE GAUGES

SATELLITES

GEOLOGY

A RISING RIVER‣ Hudson River is over

12” higher than a century ago

‣ 21st Century SLR is much more rapid and seems to be accelerating

1856-2010: 1.7mm/yr1996-2013: 3.7mm/yr

rolling 5 year average2000 - 2011: 6.76mm/yr

Hudson River Sea Level 1856-2013(in mm, observed at Manhattan

SEA LEVEL RISE: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

LAND-BASED ICE CONTRIBUTION TO SEA LEVEL RISE

LAND-BASED ICE CONTRIBUTION TO SEA LEVEL RISE

Pace of sea-level rise will not be even across all areas

Sea Level Rise Data and Science

Sea Level Rise Projections:

2020a 2050a 2080a 2100b Central Range: 1-5” 5-12” 8-23” 11-26” Rapid Ice Melt: 4-10” 19-29” 41-55” 52-72”

a) From the NYS Sea Level Rise Task Forceb) From the NYS 2100 Commission Report

BIODIVERSITY WATERFRONTS INFRASTRUCTURE

SEA-LEVEL RISEResources at Risk

WWW.SCENICHUDSON.ORG/SLR

SCENIC HUDSON’S SEA-LEVEL RISE MAPPER

RAIL LINES BROWNFIELDS & HAZMATS

TREATMENT PLANTS

SEA-LEVEL RISE IN THE HUDSON RIVER ESTUARY‣ You are going to

use the Scenic Hudson Sea Level Rise Mapper to investigate how sea level rise will affect different locations along the Hudson River.

WWW.SCENICHUDSON.ORG/SLR/MAPPER