Sea-Level Trends

Coastal damage from Hurricane Isabel.

For coastal planning, the only sea level changes that matter are the ones relative to the land, explains Dr. John Boon, Professor Emeritus at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary. There are two basic types of sea level change: 1) eustatic or world-wide change in sea level due primarily to increasing or decreasing ocean volumes and 2) local apparent change in sea level due to the vertical movement of land. Although sea level is rising in the Hampton Roads area (as in many other areas), there is some question as to whether the rise rate is accelerating.

Read more about this subject including specific examples in Sea Coast and Sea Level Trends, by Dr. John Boon. To provide comments related to this article, please contact Dr. Boon.

 

View video clips on sea level rise (uses Real Player and Quicktime Player):

Chesapeake Baywatch - Dr. Kirk Havens, VIMS

Sea-level Rise - Dr. Carl Hershner, VIMS

 

Hurricane Isabel Model Information

Physical information related to Hurricane Isabel was collected at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Data were modeled by Jian Shen, VIMS Physical Oceanography Department.

See link for video on wave height and wind bands as the storm came through Hampton Roads (Windows Media Player).

Simulation of Hurricane Isabel Using the Advanced Circulation Model (ADCIRC), Jian Shen, Wenping Gong, and Harry Wang (.pdf)

Improved Storm Surge Model Prediction Using a High Resolution Unstructured Grid by Jian Shen, VIMS

 

Sea-Level Rise and Wildlife

Bird Surveys of Lee and Marsh Hill Marshes on the Pamunkey River: Possible Affects of Sea-Level Rise on Marsh Bird Communities

 

Related Links

For links to other sea level trend related information see:

• Land Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise on the Mid-Atlantic Coast (EPA)
• Sea-Level Rise Reports (EPA)
• Chesapeake Geology and Sea-Level Rise (George Mason)
• Subsidence and Sea-Level Rise (NOAA)
• Climate, weather, and tides (Virginia State Climatology)

For useful storm surge and structural integrity related information see:

• Health and safety information related to storm surge (FloridaKeys.com)
• Shoreline erosion and coastal safety (NC Sea Grant)
• How to protect your property (FEMA)

 

Virginia coastal area after Hurricane Isabel

Coastal bank erosion. Photo: Carl Hershner

 

Penn State University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Rhode Island, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science are collaborating with the U.S. EPA and private and public stakeholders of the mid- and upper-Atlantic region. Support for CARA is provided by the Global Change Research Program, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Cooperative Agreement R-83053301).