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Coastal Hazards and Climate Change Impacts: Understanding the Dynamic Coastline

Explore coastal processes and human interactions, including landform changes caused by storm events and sea level rise. Learn about tropical cyclones, storm surges, and factors contributing to coastal hazards amid climate variability. Discover the dynamic convergence of continental and oceanic processes shaping our coastal areas.

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Coastal Hazards and Climate Change Impacts: Understanding the Dynamic Coastline

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  1. Coastal Processes Humans are moving seaward (closer to the water) Ocean is moving landward Image from http://www.paulo.miamire.com/

  2. Landform changes caused by storm events LIDAR surveys - Dauphine Island, Gulf Coast of Alabama

  3. Coastal Hazards • Coastal areas • Variable topography, climate, and vegetation • Dynamic area • Convergence of continental and oceanic processes • Often populous (75% of US lives in coastal zone) • Types of Hazards • Tidal floods • Tropical cyclones • Tsunamis • Coastal erosion

  4. “Long term” water level change Sea Level Rise From IPCC AR4 (2007), Physical Science Section, Chp. 5 Contributing factors: Melting of Earth’s ice volume Reconfiguration of Tectonic Plates Thermal Expansion of Seawater

  5. Scenario for WAIS melting

  6. Effects of Sea Level Rise

  7. Daily water level change Tides

  8. Storm Surge Episodic water level change

  9. Storm Surge Model

  10. Tropical Cyclones

  11. Coastal Hazards • Tropical cyclones • Originate near equator between 8˚N & 15˚S • Typhoon (Pacific) and hurricane (Western Hemisphere) • Effects • High winds (> 75 mph or 120 km/hr) • Flooding – causes most life loss & damage • Storm surge • Heavy rains • Tornadoes • Results • Deaths declining with improved warnings • Property damage- $10 billion from Andrew • Problems • Increasing coastal population • Poor evacuation routes • Inadequate building codes/enforcement

  12. Wind Speed Distribution 160 km >100 km/hr over a region ~160 km in diameter >60 km/hr over a region ~640 km in diameter 640 km

  13. Hurricane Strike Probability Map • Frequency • About 5 per year • Greatest risk • Florida • Texas • Three common tracks • On-shore • Gulf of Mexico • East Coast skimmers

  14. 2005 Tropical Storms Storm tracks generally fall into three categories: 1) Atlantic U-turns 2) Gulf coast strikers 3) East coast skirters http://www.nasa.gov/mpg/126449main_katrina_fred_animation.mpg

  15. 1999 Tropical Storms

  16. 1999 Tropical Storms – Large Waves Data from Cape Canaveral Buoy and Model Results

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