sea level rise
SURFO Special: How can understanding the scenarios of rising sea levels help New England parks prepare for Nor’easters?
Will Cape Cod ever become an island? Rising sea levels come with increased threats of flooding, especially in the areas already ravaged by storms. How can we predict the effects of sea level rise on coastal lands? SURFO student Louis Borrelli spent this summer figuring it out. Anastasia YandulskayaI am a PhD candidate at Northeastern […]
Consider the marsh crab: Climate change shifts which species are key
Munching, nibbling and burrowing their way through life, the humble marsh crab can now add “keystone species” to its ecological resume. As sea level rise has inundated shorelines on the East Coast of the United States, marsh crabs have emerged as important players in shaping how marshes respond to climate change. Kristin HuizengaI am a […]
A Song of Ice and Sea Level Rise
How much ice is really being lost in the polar regions, and what have been the consequences? A team of scientists use NASA satellites to determine ice mass loss in Greenland and Antarctica since 2003, and the resulting sea level rise. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I […]
Sea-Level rise may be higher than previously estimated
Kulp, S.A., Strauss, B.H. New elevation data triple estimates of global vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal flooding. Nat Commun 10, 4844 (2019) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12808-z As a part of the natural cycle, sea-levels have increased or decreased throughout our planet’s history. Water frozen in ice caps would melt during the hotter periods, contributing to the sea level […]
Sea Level Rise in the Age of the Paris Agreement
Global greenhouse gas emissions are resulting in global warming and climate change. Some of the effects of global warming can be seen in the present-day; however, many of the effects will not be seen for decades or centuries. The authors of this study were the first to quantify future sea-level rise as a result of […]
SURFO Special: GPS – An Unconventional Tidal Gauge
Every summer, the URI Graduate School of Oceanography hosts undergraduate research interns called SURFOs. In this post, learn about Ben Watzak’s 2019 SURFO research using GPS to track sea level rise! Nyla HusainI’m a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography. I use a small-scale computer model to study how […]
Growing a Scientist: Undergraduate Research 2018, part 3
Check out these posts by guest authors Deborah Leopo, Mike Miller, Whitney Marshall, and Robert Lewis about deep sea snail species, sea level rise, and tectonic modeling–these students were part of the SURFO program at URI-GSO over Summer 2018, and have some really exciting research to share! Anna RobuckI am a third year PhD student […]
Losing Coral Reefs Will Cost Us More Money
Coral reefs are extremely important ecosystems. Sadly, climate change, pollution, and various other threats are causing us to lose some of these critical habitats. A group of scientists estimated just how much it will cost us in the future if we lose these important corals. Ashley MarranzinoI received my Master’s degree from the University of […]
Coastal waves link far-off winds to melting Antarctic ice
The ocean surrounding Antarctica is warming, rapidly melting ice shelves from below. Scientists have now discovered that strong winds thousands of miles away can cause this warming with the help of large, very fast waves that propagate around Antarctica’s coast. Veronica TamsittI’m a PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla California. My […]
An arsenic surprise: How our buried past will catch up with us
Global sea level is expected to rise 0.8 to 1 meter by 2100 and may release arsenic trapped in soil. Researchers investigated how this arsenic release would impact the biogeochemical cycling of coastal water systems as they are inundated with water due to sea level rise. Victoria TreadawayI am a PhD candidate at the Graduate […]
New Model Evaluates How Coastlines in the Northeast United States Respond to Sea Level Rise
Some coastlines are more resilient to sea level rise, whereas others just plain drown. A new study by geologists at the United States Geological Survey evaluate how coastlines along the northeast United States will respond to sea level rise. Brian CaccioppoliI am a recent graduate (Dec. 2015) from the University of Rhode Island Graduate School […]
Salt Marshes Resilient Against Sea Level Rise
Will salt marshes survive sea level rise? Previous studies have emphatically answered “No!” suggesting a 20-50% loss by the year 2100. However, Kirwan and colleagues have challenged this notion, finding that salt marshes are not nearly as fragile as previously thought, and that salt marshes will not succumb to the rising sea without a fight! […]
Antarctic ice dams at risk
Source: Fürst et al. (2016), The Safety band of Antarctic ice shelves. Nature Climate Change The shrinking Antarctic As our planet warms, the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps is causing sea level rise, threatening the future of coastal cities and low lying areas around the world. This melting includes Antarctica’s ice shelves, which add […]
Retreat! Barrier Beaches Meet Their Demise Despite Modest Sea Level Rise
Future sea level rise poses many challenges for communities on barrier islands. However, sea level rise alone may not be the only factor that determines the fate of barrier islands in a future of rising seas. Brian CaccioppoliI am a recent graduate (Dec. 2015) from the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, with […]
Climate Transgressions and Barrier Islands
Barrier Islands support local economies, residents, tourism, fragile environments, and sometimes valuable resources. Yet, they are extremely susceptible to storms and sea level change. A new study examines the past 12,000 years in sediments to try to understand how these coastal landforms may be affected in the future. Zoe GentesZoe has an M.S. in Oceanography […]
Corals better learn to keep up or they may drown!
The coral reefs protecting many islands in the Pacific need to grow quickly in order to keep up with the rising sea levels and increasing ocean temperatures. As of now, researchers are optimistic that some species of corals are up to this challenge, but that relies on the rate of sea level rise. Valeska UphamFor […]
What can sea level tell us about long-term climate variability in the Atlantic?
Ocean circulation plays a major role in delivering heat to the subpolar North Atlantic and influence long-term changes in sea surface temperatures. A cleaver use of tidal gauge data shows that we are in for a natural transition to cooler temperatures in the North Atlantic with unfavorable consequences for coastal sea level rise along the […]
Satellites Agree: Sea Level Rise Accelerated Over Last Decade
Satellite altimetry: talk about a game-changer! Measurement of the oceans’ sea surface height by satellite altimetry has revolutionized the study of sea level rise. But even the most precise measurements are prone to error, which can drastically impair our understanding of sea level rise. Brian CaccioppoliI am a recent graduate (Dec. 2015) from the University […]
Rise Up! Overestimated sea-level rise during the 20th century.
Calculating a global average change in sea-level over the twentieth-century is no walk in the park. This study uses a new technique to critically look at previous estimates of sea-level rise. The findings suggest that previous estimates may have been too high, but what does this mean for future sea-level rise projections? Brian CaccioppoliI am […]
Rotten Totten: Why is East Antarctica melting so quickly?
Like the West Antarctica Ice Sheet, East Antarctica is home to glaciers thinning at an alarming rate. The east’s Totten Glacier stores enough water to raise global sea level by 11 feet, similar to projected amounts in West Antarctica. Researchers conducted a study to find out what is causing Totten to melt so quickly. The […]
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