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In many long-enduring coastal cultures, there are stories – sometimes mythologized – about times when pieces of land became separated from mainlands by submergence, a process that created islands where none existed before. Using examples from northwest Europe and Australia, this paper argues that many such stories recall times, often millennia ago, when sea level in the aftermath of the Last Glaciation (last ice age) was rising and transforming coastal landscapes and their human uses in exactly the ways these stories describe. The possibility that these may have arisen from eyewitness accounts of these transformative processes, hitherto thought to be understandable only by scientific (palaeoenvironmental) reconstructions, should encourage more systematic investigations of such stories by scientists. It also suggests that science has traditionally underestimated the capacity of oral (pre-literate) cultures to acquire, encode and sustain their observations of memorable events with a high degree of replication fidelity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a comprehensive cartographic product, this paper aims to illustrate the evolution of the urban geomorphological setting of the urban coastal belt of Cagliari (southern Sardinia, Italy, western Mediterranean Sea). The geomorphological map (1:14,000) presented herein summarizes different data (e.g. urban development, anthropogenic features, geomorphological elements, recent deposits, sedimentological distribution, hydrodynamics and ecological components) acquired through an integrated sea-land approach and a multidisciplinary-multitemporal investigation. The main significant environmental changes are linked to urbanization, the development of port infrastructures (embankments along the shoreline and the construction of the canal harbour), remediation work and filling activities, and the hardening of dune and beach systems and cliffs. These man-made interventions have increased the vulnerability of the shore zones to flood hazards and risks, which are linked to sea-level rises and global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature based coastal adaptation (NbCA) sustainably helps minimize sea-level rise impacts, using and enhancing the natural capacity of coastal ecosystems. Despite its relative advantages over conventional hard protection infrastructure, the implementation of NbCA is challenged by diverse barriers, many of which cannot be overcome in the absence of appropriate policy directives. This paper draws on organizational practitioners' case study narratives collected from six NbCA projects planned and/or implemented in Nova Scotia, Canada, to answer how the implementation of NbCA approaches can be navigated through adoption barriers. Results reveal that institutional and psychological barriers dominate, and they also show path-dependency. In addition, barriers are often influenced by the biophysical properties of a restoration site. To navigate through barriers, it is important to identify policy opportunities and redistribute roles and responsibilities. Organizational knowledge creation through partnership and community engagement are two other strategies required for the successful implementation of NbCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme climate change has occurred over the last decade, which has impacted the port and shipping industries. Port operations are vulnerable to the detrimental effects of climate change, which are predicted to present significant challenges to port operators. The impact is adverse and adapting to it has become crucial. Given the initial state of research on climate change, this paper aims to provide a thorough overview via a Systematic Literature Review of its issues, impacts on port operations, and adaptation strategies. The findings indicate that several issues influence port operations, such as sea-level rise, storm surges, and extreme winds. The study clearly showed that the port has been identified as being vulnerable to climate change and there has already been an intrusion into port operations worldwide. Furthermore, the potential solutions to climate change adaptation have also been addressed, and the most suggested options include modernising the port infrastructure, relocating the port, and developing a symbiotic relationship with the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of climate change have sparked policy responses at different governance levels. Studying the central adaptation policies and understanding the interactions and complexities of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders is essential in guiding policymakers at different levels of government to formulate policies and make investment decisions. With strategic and economic significance on the national level, Coastal Virginia has one of the highest rates of sea-level rise in the United States, instigating intensified and more frequent climate hazards such as flooding and storms. This paper strives to characterize the status of adaptation policymaking in this region through a novel keyword analysis method and a thematic analysis of interviews with the main adaptation decision-makers and stakeholders. We identify the central adaptation policies and programmes at the local, regional, state, and federal level, as well as the major relevant players. This provides a comprehensible narrative of adaptation policymaking, which could be exploited to further analyze governance gaps and adaptation challenges. The approach and methodologies of this research could be implemented in similar studies for other areas of the U.S. that are at high climate risk, possibly facilitating an informed national adaptation policy, long overdue by the federal government. The research is also relevant for other jurisdictions at risk of sea-level rise. Key policy insights Coastal adaptation policymaking in Virginia has been a bottom-up and fragmented process initiated by most affected localities, exhibiting the importance of local initiatives in higher-level adaptation policies. The long-lasting impacts of 100 Resilient cities and Dutch Dialogues in the City of Norfolk highlight the value of fostering cross-geographic coordination and capacity-building programmes, confirming the importance of informal policy networks in learning and innovation for adaptation. There is a vast difference among localities in adaptation planning and implementation, creating the need for coordinating state leadership. Adaptation policymaking in Virginia has been influenced by political cycles with priorities drastically altered by each administration change, introducing significant uncertainty for continuation of policies. National policies and programmes, such as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, can significantly affect local-level policies and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A global challenge concerns reconciling population growth and increasing built infrastructure with foreshore ecosystems that are 'squeezed' against a rising sea levels, hampering their ability to deliver life-sustaining ecosystem services. This paper tests established sea-level rise strategies – fortification, accommodation, and retreat – using a city-centre adjacent estuarine case study in Western Australia to understand the implications for foreshore ecosystem service provision. The results indicate that some retreat of urban areas will be required, combined with the migration of the foreshore reserves landward, to maintain ecosystem service functions over the longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea-level rise and resulting salinity inundation are making many coastal areas increasingly unfavorable for rice production. This paper examines intensive and extensive adaptations to rice production in salinity-prone areas of the Mekong River Delta (MKD) of Vietnam using a two-year panel dataset of 788 rice-growing households. In terms of intensive adaptations, we estimate a fixed-effect regression model and find that salinity tolerant rice varieties (STVs) increase rice yields on fields that are not protected by salinity barriers, but overall economic benefits from STVs are limited by lower market prices compared to other varieties. In terms of extensive adaptations, farmers stop growing rice on 15% of survey fields. Probit and IV-probit model results reveal that falling rice profitability plays a significant role in these observed exits from rice production, while salinity barrier infrastructure, large rice field holdings, and community commitment to rice farming are associated with continued rice production. Development initiatives that support household adaptation to sea-level rise need to blend currently polarized policy options of investment in large rice sector infrastructure projects that lock farmers into intensive rice cultivation and of support farmer efforts to find alternative land uses in response to evolving market and environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changing climate with resulting more extreme weather events will likely impact infrastructure assets and services. This phenomenon can present direct threats to the assets as well as significant indirect effects for those relying on the services those assets deliver. Such threats are path-dependent and place-specific, as they strongly depend on current and future climate variability, location, asset design life, function and condition. One key question is how climate change is likely to increase both the probability and magnitude of extreme weather events under different scenarios of climate change. To address this issue, this paper investigates selected effects of climate change and their consequences on structural performance, in the context of evolving loading scenarios in three different continental regions: Europe, North America, and Asia. The aim is to investigate some main place-specific changes of the exposure in terms of intensity/frequency of extreme events as well as the associated challenges, considering some recent activities of members of the IABSE TG6.1. Climate change can significantly affect built infrastructure and the society by increasing the occurrence and magnitude of extreme events and increasing potential losses. Therefore, specific relationships relating hazard levels and structural vulnerability to climate change effects should be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explicates meanings of local journalism when what was traditionally treated as a local issue for local audiences--Miami's rising seas--was thrust onto a national stage by national press and for wider audiences. Through a textual analysis of local news stories over a period of three years, this paper highlights how local journalists demarcated local and national journalistic boundaries, using national news to legitimize previous local coverage of sea-level rise, as news sources in local environmental journalism that strengthened presentations by local press as expertise on the issue, ultimately positioning national journalists as "outsiders." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we develop methods for identifying local business and government vulnerabilities to sea-level rise and the natural hazards associated with it. Unlike the fairly large literature on measuring social vulnerability to natural hazards, there are very few papers that discuss methods for measuring local business or local government vulnerability even though businesses and governments are also differentially affected natural hazards. Our goal is to create measures that are easily replicable using readily available data and that are easy to explain to local planners, policymakers, and citizens. We implement our measures of local business and government vulnerability for our study area, Coastal Virginia. We combine those measures with a physical vulnerability measure to identify the areas in Coastal Virginia where planners and policymakers need to more closely examine the potential impacts of sea-level rise on their local businesses and government. While our methods are tailored to Coastal Virginia, they could be easily applied in other areas threatened by sea-level rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increase in saturation in natural clayey slopes along coastal zones as a result of tsunamis or storm surges may cause flow slides or failures. One of the common treatments is to increase the overall stability by soil replacement and/or re-compaction, which is often difficult to implement, expensive, and, most importantly, damages the natural vegetation. In this paper, remedial effectiveness of a relatively economical and environmentally friendly method involving insertion of geotextile strips with drainage capability into natural clayey slopes is evaluated through a series of centrifuge tests. The test results demonstrate the effectiveness of the employed technique to increase the stability of slopes and their drainage capability as well as to reduce the deformations under surcharge loadings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Starting from a general understanding that experience of hazards is important in motivating protective response, this paper reports a novel study to understand the relationship between householder experience, understanding and response to two natural hazards - flooding and sea-level rise - in three contrasting high-risk areas of England. It presents a generic Individual Understanding and Response Framework (IURF) as a simple but potentially valuable means of comparing hazards and expressing the dynamic processes that appear to heighten or attenuate understanding and drive or constrain responses to specific natural hazards. The IURFs confirm the complexity of factors underlying householder understanding and response. Even in high-risk areas a lack of recent direct personal experience of flood events serves to attenuate understanding and to constrain motivation to take personal action. For sea-level rise, as yet a largely 'unknown' hazard in the local context, perceived responsibility to act is transferred to others. Social networks are confirmed as important local sources of information often more important than the official. People evaluate potential protection or mitigation measures in terms of their efficacy, cost and implementation barriers. The paper concludes with discussion of the communication and engagement implications for communities at risk from natural hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea-level rise and increased storminess present huge challenges to coastal engineers worldwide. The seaward slope of many breakwaters and shoreline defence structures consists of thousands of interlocking units of concrete or rock making up a massive granular defence against wave attack. The units are placed freely to form an armour layer which is intended to both dissipate wave energy and remain structurally stable. Design guidance on the mass and shape of these units is based on empirical equations derived from Froude scale physical model tests. The two main failure modes for concrete armour layers are displacement (hydraulic instability) and breakage (structural instability) which are strongly coupled. Breakage mechanisms cannot all be faithfully reproduced under scaled physical models. Fundamental understanding of the forces governing such wave-structure interaction remains poor and unit breakages continue to baffle the designers of concrete armour units. This paper illustrates a range of DEM and FEMDEM methods being developed to model the granular solid skeleton of freely packed brittle units. Such discrete element methods are increasingly being used by engineers for solids modelling. They are especially powerful when coupled with a CFD model which can resolve ocean wave dynamics. The aim is to describe a framework for coupled modelling technologies applicable to coastal engineering problems. Preliminary simulation test cases, still at proof of concept stage, but based on a wealth of validation studies are presented. Thus, we report a snap-shot of progress towards a future where designers combine multi-physics numerical technology with knowledge from scalled physical models for a better understanding of wave energy turbulence, block movement, and internal stresses within armour units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work is an effort to expose the sedimentation rate of the Ganges–Brahmaputra (GB) tidal delta plain from the subsurface-dated sediments samples. The study reveals that the average sedimentation rates (about 2.12–4.59 mm yr−1) of the area are not as good to minimize as the estimated range of relative sea-level rise (RSLR) (1–9 mm yr−1). Moreover, the sediments cannot be distributed properly in the tidal and fluvio-tidal plains due to different anthropogenic activities like poldering and embankments. In addition, the upstream diversion of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers water reduces the suspended sediment load to the downstream and consequently, the sedimentation rates. Finally, the GB tidal delta plain and its coastal area are in a vulnerable situation in consideration of sedimentation rates, RSLR, and different anthropogenic activities. Therefore, regular monitoring and evaluation is essential about sedimentation, coastal and upstream anthropogenic practices, RSLR, etc., for the implementation of effective and efficient mitigation and adaptation measures in the deltaic plains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If the rising sea level due to climate change proceeds in the future with the rate observed in the past four decades, it could inundate some coastal lowlands. The aim of this paper is to assess future risk of sea-level rise (SLR) on the Nile delta of Egypt located along the Mediterranean Sea. Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are verified, against ground control points, and used to identify areas susceptible to inundation due to future SLR. Analysis of DEMs maps and cross-shore profiles has identified locations that are vulnerable to SLR including coastal wetlands, agriculture areas, and urban neighborhoods. The results have revealed that about 7% of the Nile delta area is at risk of inundation due to future SLR. This information could be used by coastal zone managers in planning and protection of coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines five representative sites on the California coast to illustrate a cost-effective methodology using tools and data that local decision makers can apply to analyse the economics of sea level rise (SLR) adaptation. We estimate the costs/benefits of selected responses (e.g. no action, nourishment, seawalls) to future flooding and erosion risks exacerbated by SLR. We estimate the economic value of changes to public/private property, recreational and habitat value, and beach related spending/tax revenues. Our findings indicate that the costs of SLR are significant but uneven across communities, and there is no single best strategy for adaptation. For example, Los Angeles's Venice Beach could lose $450 million in tourism revenue by 2100 with a 1.4 m SLR scenario while San Francisco's Ocean Beach would lose $80 million, but the impacts to structures could total nearly $560 million at Ocean Beach compared to $50 million at Venice Beach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National security agencies of four major powers—the United States, Russia, China, and the United Kingdom—see their militaries taking on additional roles in domestic disaster relief because of the effects of global climate change. Otherwise, national security actors show drastically different responses to climate change. The US and Russian militaries are planning for a thawing of the Arctic; but outside the Arctic, Russia seems not to regard climate change as a serious national security issue. The United States, the United Kingdom, and China are studying the effect of rising sea levels on coastal military installations; Russia apparently is not. The United States and the United Kingdom have begun significant efforts to cut energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, but because of low domestic energy prices, the Russian military has few incentives to reduce energy consumption or increase alternative energy use. And out of deference to the government’s official position that climate change is a development rather than security issue, China’s military has largely limited its climate-related activities to mass tree planting and disaster relief. Regardless of their positions on climate change, national security entities in these four countries are not expressing much urgency or taking aggressive stands, in part due to the paucity of established knowledge about the connection between a warming climate and national security. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sandy shorelines occupy ca. 80% of the coast of Mozambique, South Africa and Namibia. A geomorphological classification of sandy shorelines in the subcontinent identifies twelve major categories in four sub-regional coastal systems. The behaviour of each of the major shoreline types under rising sea level is outlined based on geological principles together with observations of former shorelines preserved onshore and on the continental shelf. Human adaptation strategies regarding shoreline change involve a binary choice (hold the shoreline in place or permit it to fluctuate) and these exert an equally important control on sandy shoreline response in the medium term as does sea-level rise itself. It is anticipated that densely urbanised sandy shorelines will be stabilised by coastal defences involving both capital works and ongoing maintenance that will be accompanied by deterioration and ultimate loss/replacement of the natural ecosystem. In contrast, currently undeveloped, natural shorelines will be permitted to adjust and will, as a consequence, survive and continue to deliver ecosystem services. The major challenge for climate-change adaptation lies in those lightly urbanised coastal areas where relatively small numbers of property owners may be, or perceive themselves to be, at risk of economic loss from shoreline change. In such cases the choice is between preserving those property interests (through sea defences) and preserving the sandy shoreline and its human and ecosystem services (via retreat). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in relative sea-level (RSL) are generally caused by variations in sea surface heights from steric effects (thermal expansion and salinity changes) and the mechanical response of the Earth to past and current redistributions of ice and water between land and oceans. This paper focuses on the latter, where we present scenario calculations of the spatial variability in present-day RSL change around the Australian coastline resulting from melting land-based ice masses. Three scenarios are investigated: (1) the ongoing effect of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) arising from ice- and water-load redistribution during the last glacial–interglacial transition; (2) the effect of present-day changes in the Greenland and West and East Antarctic ice sheets (GIS, WAIS and EAIS, respectively) and two regions of major mountain glaciation, Alaska and Patagonia; and (3) a hypothetical complete melting of the GIS, WAIS and EAIS occurring over 5000 years. The first scenario shows falling RSL around Australia of the order of 0.4 to 1.2 times the average value around the coast (equivalent to a RSL fall of between 0.2 and 0.6 mm/a). For the second scenario, the spatial variability is strongly dependent upon the location of each ice mass relative to Australia. For Greenland and Patagonia, the resulting changes to the Earth's rotation strongly affect the spatial variability, while the direct gravitational effect is more important when considering the Antarctic ice sheets. The variability associated with the first two scenarios becomes clearer when examining RSL change estimates for the locations of tide-gauge stations around the Australian coast, especially for the ongoing GIA (a south-to-north increase in the simulated rate of RSL change), the WAIS (east-to-west increase) and the EAIS (south-to-north increase), with the melting of the EAIS potentially having the greatest influence on the variability of the melting land-based ice contribution to RSL change around Australia. The spatial variability associated with the third scenario is strongly influenced over century-length time-scales by the resulting changes in the Earth's rotation and the direct gravitational attraction of the ice masses, while after several thousand years the uplift of the continent by mantle material displaced towards it by increased ocean loading becomes more prominent. It must, however, be kept in mind that the spatial variability associated with these scenarios is generally a small proportion of the total RSL change, and that the steric (especially thermosteric) contribution is not included in these results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Managed retreat – the relocation of homes and infrastructure under threat from coastal flooding – is one of the few policy options available for coastal communities facing long-term risks from accelerated sea level rise. At present, little is known about how the Australian public perceives policy options to mitigate sea level rise risks. This paper explores a range of different decision-making criteria used to assess a managed retreat scheme. A metatheoretical social functionalist framework is used to make sense of personal concerns elicited from an online survey asking respondents to consider a managed retreat scheme. The framework proposes that people can act intuitively as scientists, economists, politicians, prosecutors and theologians, when considering a complex topic such as managed retreat policy. The research found that the survey respondents are more likely to consider the topic of managed retreat from multiple functional perspectives than from a single functional perspective. The type of social functionalist frameworks that people used to assess the Conditional Occupancy Rights scheme was found to be influenced by their perceptions of sea level rise risk. The findings have implications for public debates about the long-term risks of sea level rise and for engaging with the community about managed retreat policy options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper is aimed to identify the factors that influence peoples' preference for adaptation against the impacts of sea level rise (SLR). A total of 285 respondents from three coastal villages in Bangladesh are randomly interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. First, employing the principal component analysis various factors that influence adaptation preferences of people are identified. These factors are related to “demographic and social aspects”, “wealth and economic standing”, “past coping and adaptive behaviour”, “climate knowledge and information” and “spatial aspect” of life. What is common in these factors is their ability to influence peoples' vulnerability. Finally, the binomial logistic regression model is employed to compute the explanatory power of these factors to predict the respondents' preference for adaptation in situ over retreat or vice versa. Model findings are robust for two scenarios of SLR, i.e. 2050-2075 (LR χ2 = 133.65, pseudo-R2 = 0.53, p < 0.001) and 2080-2100 (LR χ2 = 282.61, pseudo-R2 = 0.85, p < 0.001). Therefore, it is concluded that to avoid relocation of substantial number of people initiative for encouraging adaptation in situ must be taken along side establishment of safe shelter, community radio service and campaign for raising climate awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pacific island nation-state of Tuvalu featured significantly at the Copenhagen Conference of Parties (COP) 15 climate change negotiations, where the vulnerability of Tuvalu to sea level rise and emotional outpourings of the Tuvaluan delegation contributed to the nation's prominence. In this paper we discuss the likely impacts for Tuvalu of a 1.5°C versus 2°C global warming target and explore sadness and discomfort surrounding discussion of these targets during COP 15. We highlight tensions between science and emotion, arguing that affective encounters can be significant in climate change decision-making. Weeping by a member of the Tuvalu delegation evoked discomfort in the conference plenary. This discomfort briefly unsettled the apparently stable boundaries of convention and protocol that seek to separate emotion from science and politics. We argue that possibilities for change arise when emotions enter climate change negotiations, even though (or perhaps because) these are arenas that privilege rational exchange. Our conclusion urges that more attention be paid to how climate science and emotion are intertwined in climate change politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to assess the use of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) as an accurate, reliable, and easy tool for sea level measurement. The GNSS technique was incorporated into a float based tide gauge system. A prototype of such an instrument was developed based on principles of conventional tide gauges, where high frequency noise is reduced mechanically. The ability of the GNSS based tide gauge (GTG) to monitor sea levels was tested in several experiments. The performance of the GTG was compared to that of a traditional tide gauge. The method of data analysis and data comparison between the GPS measurements and the tide gauge data is presented. The results show that the GTG is equal in performance to the traditional float operated tide gauge. It seems that the GTG is capable of delivering the same level of accuracy (1 cm), and its results are as reliable as its competitor, the traditional float tide gauge. The suggested instrument can be easily integrated into the array of permanent GNSS stations and assist in absolute measurements of sea level changes, caused by global warming and the greenhouse effect, for example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basal Cambrian sandstone unit in the North China craton (NCC) is an example of globally widespread siliciclastic succession that resides on the Great Unconformity and deposited on a hypothesized low-lying peneplain during the Cambrian global eustatic sea-level rise. Detrital zircon age signatures from this distinct sequence enable recognition of the ancient drainage system of the NCC in deep time and track its potential linkage with the Gondwana landmass. LA-ICP-MS U–Pb dating of the fossil-calibrated basal Cambrian (Series 2) detrital zircon samples from seven measured sections reveal marked spatial changes in their age signatures that can be divided into three distinct types. The first is generally characterized by the bimodal age populations with broad peaks at ~1.85 Ga and ~2.5 Ga that correlate with the Archean to Paleoproterozoic basement inboard of the NCC. The second is featured by multimodal distribution with diagnostic Neoproterozoic peaks that correspond to subregional magmatic record. The third also shows multiple-zircon age populations, but yields significant crystallization ages close to the early Cambrian age. Comparing our new data with existing age spectra for the Cambrian strata across the NCC and the northern Gondwana demonstrates that separate drainage systems did exist in the peneplained basement during global Cambrian transgression and the basal Cambrian unit in the NCC was not a part of the far-travelled sand sheet across the northern margin of Gondwana. The most suitable source for Cambrian-aged grains constrained by paleogeographic restoration is the arc terrane developed along the northern margin of the NCC as a result of subduction of the Paleo-Asian oceanic plate. Our new continental-scale detrital zircon provenance signatures in the basal Cambrian unit suggest that the NCC should be considered a discrete continental block separated by the Proto-Tethys Ocean in the Cambrian, rather than an integral part of the northern Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change threatens coastal archaeology through storm flooding (extreme sea-level: ESL), long-term sea-level rise (SLR) and coastal erosion. Many regions, like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), lack key baseline evidence. We present initial results from a climate change threat assessment of MENA's coastal heritage using the Maritime Endangered Archaeology inventory: a geospatial database of MENA maritime archaeological sites incorporating a disturbance/ threat assessment. It informs two analyses of past disturbance and future threat: (1) using the integral threat/disturbance assessment, and (2) geospatial extraction of information from external coastal change models. Analysis suggests <5% of documented coastal sites are definitely affected by coastal erosion but up to 34% could also have experienced past flooding, erosion, or storm action. Climate change-related threats will increase over the 21st Century and accelerate post-2050 if carbon emissions remain high. SLR and ESL could impact 14–25% of sites by 2050 and 18–34% by 2100. Over 30% to 40% of sites could be impacted by erosion by 2050 and 2100 respectively. Whilst documentation is ongoing and there remain modeling uncertainties, this approach provides a means to redress the absence of baseline data on climate change threats to coastal cultural heritage in MENA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Carboniferous carbonate sediments of the Mobarak Formation have been analysed to evaluate the role of allogenic and autogenic factors on the development of a distally steepened carbonate platform. Thirteen facies are identified in the studied succession and are grouped into four facies associations: inner ramp FA‒FB; middle ramp FC; ramp slope FD; and deep ramp FE. The rifting event at the northern margin of the Gondwana supercontinent caused a remarkable change in the depositional system so that the precursor homoclinal ramp (Khosheilagh Formation, Devonian) turned into the distally steepened ramp of the Mobarak Formation. Six depositional sequences are identified in the succession, characterized by varieties the normal transgression‒regression cycles, the TST‒HST, or the transgression‒forced regression cycles consisting of the TST‒HST‒FSST. The main controlling elements in the stacking pattern of sedimentary packages, relative sea-level changes and the formation of depositional sequences were tectonic activity and eustatic sea-level changes. Development of the FSST package was caused by the increasing tectonic activity and the formation of turbiditic sediments, amplified by wave-induced currents as the autogenic factor on formation of the re-sedimented deposits. Development of the HST deposits displays a relative balance between sedimentation rate and the creation of accommodation space. Thick packages of deep ramp calcareous shale were developed during quiescence in the tectonic activity and increase in accommodation space, created by thermal subsidence and rise in eustatic sea-level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Adams Bay site is a Native American monumental centre located in the Mississippi River Delta (MRD), a dynamic, geomorphic environment comprised of marshes, bayous, and rivers. The site itself was constructed approximately 600 to 800 years ago by Indigenous communities who are the ancestors of modern-day coastal communities. Earthen mounds at Adams Bay have disappeared over the past 70 years, and the last remaining mound at the site has almost completely eroded away over the past 10 years. This is an environment that is rapidly subsiding, eroding, and becoming inundated due to sea-level rise, and within this environment are hundreds of earthen and shell mounds. This study uses Sentinel-2 and National Agriculture Imagery Program data to document decadal changes to the landscape at Adams Bay and posits that mound-building had net positive impacts on biodiversity and vegetation in this marshy, deltaic environment. Sites like Adams Bay provide remarkable ecosystem services, enhancing the resilience of coastal ecosystems, and they must be studied and/or preserved before being lost to climatic and environmental forces. Finally, these sites are still incredibly significant to modern Indigenous communities who live in the coastal zone today, and additional resources need to be dedicated towards their conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies reported an ambiguous global sea level acceleration during the satellite altimetry (SA) era (1993-2017). New SA data created an opportunity to resolve this issue. In this study, two competing kinematic models to represent global mean sea level anomalies are compared. The first model consists of an initial velocity and uniform acceleration. The second model replaces the initial velocity and acceleration with a trend and a representation of a long periodic lunar subharmonic of period 55.8 y, which is determined to be statistically significant at globally distributed tide gauge records. The models also include parameters for the periodic effects of lunisolar origin with periods 18.6 y and 11.1 y annual, and biannual variations in 10-day average of globally SA measurements during 1993-2022. Generalized least squares solutions yielded updated statistically significant estimates for all the model parameters and their statistics for both models. However, the outcome failed to resolve the ambiguity of uniform acceleration in global mean sea level confounded with the long periodic lunar subharmonic of period 55.8 y during this period. This epistemic uncertainty will have a dire impact on climate change risk assessments as demonstrated through the prospective comparison of both kinematic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Professional Geographer is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Seismic lines and sediment cores collected along the shelf between Albenga and Loano (Liguria, NW Italy) allowed an unprecedented reconstruction of the characters and distribution of late Quaternary transgressive littoral deposits. Multiple seismic lines datasets and stratigraphic logs were managed within a single, GIS-based software. This approach allowed the merging, analysis, and interpretation of multimethodological datasets, greatly increasing the understanding of the study area. On seismic reflection lines, the identification of high-amplitude acoustic facies (i.e. coarse-grained deposits), coupled with the analyses of the identified paleo-morphologies, allowed the mapping of (at least) five paleo shorelines along the continental shelf at 30–40 40–60, 60–80, 80–90 and 90–100 m below sea level. Their retrogradiational geometry and terraced distribution likely indicate episodic, stepwise retreats of Late Quaternary coastal system (last 18–11 Ky), compatible with phases of fast sea level rise interspersed by long periods of sea level stillstand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beach nourishment is a popular engineering-with-nature (EWN) strategy used globally for shoreline stabilization and coastal storm damage reduction. Large-scale projects require dredging from offshore sand borrow sources. However, suitable sands for nourishment are not ubiquitous offshore, especially in sediment-starved southern NC. In 2015, >300 nautical miles (555 km) of sub-bottom, sidescan, bathymetry and 38 cores/grabs were collected in data gaps offshore southern NC and interpreted for geologic horizons and potential nourishment-compatible sand thickness. In addition, hundreds of paleochannels were mapped and evaluated for fill patterns and resource potential. Various forms of hardbottom were delineated, sometimes in close proximity to sand resources. Results show high spatial variability in the distribution of beach-compatible sands across the southern NC shelf, where only a thin sand veneer is observed in many locations, although some regions contained continuous deposits exceeding 3 m. The thickest shoal deposits (>5 m) were observed offshore New Hanover County Region. Underlying strata and bathymetry appear to affect channel shape and distribution. Channels with acoustically transparent fill may be suitable as nourishment sources, yet many channels show complex and variable fill suggestive of tidal and estuarine environments. Seafloor reconnaissance data are valuable in preventing multi-use conflicts on the shelf as shelf areas are increasingly being explored for other functions (e.g, wind farms, oil/gas, fish habitat). These findings provide a useful starting point for coastal managers seeking sufficient offshore sediment resources for nourishment in response to future storm events and sea-level rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many estuaries are squeezed between sea-level rise, coastal hardening and adverse cumulative effects from unsustainable catchment activities. In Aotearoa New Zealand, there is little planning to provide future accommodation space for estuaries. A complex knot of policies and plans, and accompanying poor implementation also affect ecological sustainability. We examine these issues for Brooklands Lagoon/Te Riu o Te Aika Kawa, a tidal lagoon northeast of Christchurch/Ōtautahi. It is within the takiwā of Ngāi Tahu iwi and Ngāi Tūāhuriri hapū, and the jurisdictions of Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury. The estuary is influenced by three rivers, and surrounding land use is managed under three different statutory resource management plans, along with several non-regulatory strategies and organisational management plans. However, these plans are poorly integrated and estuarine ecological health is compromised. The incoming tide of resource management and local government reform will add complexity, but also an opportunity to accommodate and enhance the estuary as a blue carbon sink, and to restore cultural and ecological values. This requires specific recognition of estuaries in the proposed managed retreat and spatial planning laws, and within the replacement resource management statute. Legal recognition of Indigenous customary rights could also produce novel governance models to improve management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change-induced sea-level rise, salinity intrusion, sudden water surge, natural calamities, etc. affect the fish biodiversity, food security, and coastal livelihoods that highlight the necessities of developing climate-resilient strategies e.g. adaptive aquaculture techniques. Cage culture of salinity-tolerant fish may be an adaptation strategy to compensate for the losses of freshwater fish production by climate change in coastal areas. Therefore, a 120-day long field experiment was conducted to evaluate the cage culture potentiality of Mystus gulio in the coastal region of Bangladesh. Three treatments at the stocking density of 90 (T1), 135 (T2), and 180 (T3)/m2 were stocked in nine cages (1.115 m2). Significantly (p<0.05) higher growth performance and feed utilization were recorded in T1 followed by T2 and T3. In return, considering overall growth, survival, production, coast-benefit analysis, T2 was found more profitable followed by T3 and T1. This result revealed that the culture of M. gulio in floating net cages might be a potential climate-adaptive aquaculture technique in the coastal region. However, further research works are necessary for optimizing stocking density, nutrition, social acceptance, etc. before conclude it as a viable climate-resilient adaptive aquaculture practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The depositional signatures of the Cretaceous OAE1a and OAE1b intervals in the Parh Formation, Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan, Eastern Tethys, have been studied to better constrain the Aptian–Albian ocean–climate system. Based on the microfacies attributes, an outer ramp to deep basin is suggested for the deposition of Parh Formation. The quasi-periodic occurrences of radiolarian-rich microfacies and the cyclicity between the outer ramp and deep basin settings throughout the section suggest eutrophication in this part of the Eastern Tethys influenced by Milankovitch cycles. The clastic influx during OAE1a and OAE1b intervals indicate the role of continental runoff in the eutrophication of the basin. The overall negative covariance between radiolarian-rich microfacies and clastic input suggests that upwelling was a major driver of nutrient enrichment rather than continental runoff. The organic enrichment along with pyrite framboids and lack of burrows suggest that dysoxic–anoxic bottom water conditions were common throughout the Aptian and not just in the OAE1a and OAE1b intervals. The poor ventilation of the sea floor was a result of restricted circulation and may have triggered sustained anoxia during Aptian in this part of the Eastern Tethys. Bottom-water currents recharged coarser clastics to the deeper part of the basin during OAE1a and OAE1b intervals. However, the effects of deep ventilated oxic water during the events were reduced by persistent ocean anoxia. Furthermore, the dominance of carbonate sediments throughout the Aptian–lower Albian succession suggests relatively alkaline oceans in this part of Eastern Tethys. A pronounced sea-level rise, as suggested elsewhere was not observed during OAE1a and OAE1b intervals in this part of the Tethys. The Aptian–Albian hemipelagic sequence of the Parh Formation, Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan, Eastern Tethys has been deposited in an outer ramp to deep basin environment. The quasi-periodic occurrences of radiolarian-rich microfacies and cyclic alternation of depositional environments suggest eutrophication of the basin influenced by Milankovitch cycles. Organic enrichment, pyrite framboids and lack of burrows suggest dysoxic–anoxic bottom-water conditions throughout the Aptian to early Albian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early Miocene limestones from the Wairarapa region of New Zealand were deposited on thrust-bounded margins of trench-slope basins, and consist of two superposed stratal units, namely units A and B, interpreted as forced regressive and forced transgressive foralgal and rhodolith-bearing deposits, respectively. Unit A is floored by a regressive surface of marine erosion cut into shelfal to bathyal siliciclastic successions, and is overlain across a transgressive surface of erosion by Unit B. A drowning surface abruptly places the latter deposits in contact with deeper hemipelagites and turbidites. The succession is explainable within a tectono-eustatic based framework as follows: (1) Structurally controlled rapid relative sea-level fall, (i.e. sea-bed rise), from upper bathyal to shelfal depths promoted development of regressive ('lowstand') mixed carbonate–siliciclastic deposits. Continuation of seabed rise resulted in deposition of pure carbonate sediments, which are represented by channel-fill rhodolithic rudstones; (2) early stage of relative sea-level rise (i.e. seabed drowning) caused emplacement of transgressive glauconitic limestones, consisting of either foralgal deposits, or incised rhodolithic limestones; (3) continued relative sea-level rise terminated carbonate production. The present study documents carbonate production and termination in a tectonically active and confined intra-slope setting, reflected in the development and distribution of unusual forced regressive, and transgressive rhodolithic-heterozoan carbonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping methods to represent the interplay between environmental changes and prehistoric communities were investigated through a case study of the Mediterranean Iberia coastal landscape in the context of Holocene sea-level rise. We developed a four-dimension GIS-based analysis of the environmental evolution based on primary data acquisition (fieldwork, laboratory analyses) and spatial modeling of paleo-Digital Elevation Models (paleoDEMs). Five paleoDEMs were computed, representing key stages of the morphogenetic evolution between 9000 and 7000 years ago. Second, each paleoDEM was used as input in a Site-Catchment Analysis (a 1- and 2-hour walking distance from the archeological sites). Finally, we provide a bird-view visualization of the landscape evolution, centered on the perspective of an individual located at the archeological sites. By shifting the focus to the human scale, this GIS-assisted mapping allows refining assessments of the impact of environmental changes on settlement and subsistence patterns during the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2021, Pacific Islands Forum Leaders issued the Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the Face of Climate Change-Related Sea-Level Rise (PIF Declaration), declaring their intention that their maritime zones, and rights and entitlements flowing from those zones, would be maintained notwithstanding the effects of sea-level rise. This article offers a commentary on the PIF Declaration in the context of scholarly debate on sea-level rise implications for baselines and maritime zones, and in light of its historical lineage. The PIF Declaration's significance lies in giving prominence to a package of state practice, comprising the establishment of maritime zones using fixed methods, their notification to the international community, and their maintenance over time. The article examines evidence of such practice among PIF members, and considers how such practice advances the PIF Declaration's claim that the preservation of maritime zones may be achieved through the interpretation and application of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about the climate change and its effect on the environment. Some of the facts mentioned that was related to climate change include the ten warmest years on record have all been since 1990, the frequency of extreme weather events, the continuous rising of sea levels, and worldwide floods.

The upper Turonian–Maastrichtian Kawagarh Formation represents a thick sequence of carbonates in the Kalachitta Range, Pakistan and it is the only stratigraphic record of Late Cretaceous sedimentation in northwestern Lesser Himalayas. Global sea-level marks a gradual fall of ∼40 to 50 m during the deposition of the Kawagarh Formation. This study is based on detailed outcrop and petrographic investigations of six stratigraphic sections exposed in Kalachitta Range. Carbonate grains are dominantly composed of pelecypods, oysters, trigonia and plankton distributed in a micritic groundmass. Five microfacies, (1) Planktonic Mudstone, Wackestone and Packstone Microfacies, (2) Pelecypodic Planktonic Mudstone and Wackestone Microfacies, (3) Pelecypodic Wackestone and Packstone Microfacies, (4) Marl Microfacies and (5) Dolostone Microfacies, were identified using distribution of faunal types and matrix. Based on faunal paleoecology, microfacies analysis and sedimentary structures, a shallow open-marine, northward-dipping ramp model has been proposed for the deposition of the Kawagarh Formation beginning with a transgressive cycle, which also corresponds to global sea-level rise, and possibly terminated by uplift owing to initial collision of the Indian Plate with the Kohistan-Ladakh Arc at the end of the Cretaceous. Paleontological and paleoecological evidence is used to develop a shallow, open-marine ramp deposition model for the Kawagarh Formation. The initiation of Kawagarh sedimentation with transgression in the late Turonian synchronise with global sea-level curve. Sedimentation was terminated by initial collision of the Indian Plate with the Kohistan-Ladakh Arc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaring inequality is a feature of the Commonwealth's diversity. Most countries of the Commonwealth are developing countries in regions with high exposure to climate change impacts. Its 25 Small Island Developing States and 14 least developed countries face disproportionately high exposure to adverse consequences and face water scarcity brought on by droughts and melting glaciers, floods, destructive tropical storms, storm surges and rising sea levels. The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted countries having systemic and interconnected exposure to exogenous threats like climate change. Examining the relationships between income, poverty and carbon inequality within the Commonwealth may offer insights on how stronger cooperation based on the principle of 'equality in partnership' could be implemented to mobilise more resources and action to tackle climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Pygopleurus includes some of the most important beetle pollinators of the Eastern Mediterranean islands, showing a particular affinity to red-guild flowers. Focussing on the Aegean Archipelago, 75 individuals belonging to five Pygopleurus species were sampled and screened for two mtDNA loci (COI and 16S). The phylogenetic analysis implemented both by Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood approaches, showed a deep and robust structure for three species, mostly reflecting the palaeogeographic history of the islands. Interspecific divergence among them appears to have emerged at the beginning of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (5.99-5.33 Mya), with differentiation dating back to the eustatic sea level changes of the Pleistocene (2.56-0.0117 Mya). For P. foina, the most abundant species in the Aegean Archipelago, a finer sampling (121 individuals from 8 islands) and analysis of COI locus showed a distinct separation between northern and southern islands of East Aegean that disconnected non-simultaneously from the continent during the Pleistocene. A strong geographic structure was also evident at smaller taxonomic scales, with island populations exhibiting unique haplotypes. Thus, we concluded that the major palaeogeographic events of the region are reflected in the observed patterns of inter- and intraspecific divergence among and within Pygopleurus species in the Aegean Archipelago, something that is facilitated by this genus' low dispersal ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stone artifacts recently identified in the intertidal zone at Dolphin Island, Dampier Archipelago, suggest Aboriginal Australian occupation before inundation from early to mid-Holocene sea-level rise. If these artifacts do pre-date inundation, they would be the first evidence for a submerged coastal site on the Dampier Archipelago—substantiating persistent Aboriginal use throughout major environmental changes. The find provides supplementary evidence for Early Holocene settlement patterns, site organization and stone artifact production as documented on the outer islands of the Archipelago. It could be argued that the artifacts in the intertidal zone were washed downslope from nearby terrestrial settings where natural stone sources have been quarried. However, chemical analysis of cobbles and artifacts from both the hillslope and intertidal locations indicate that these two source materials are not the same. Furthermore, there is no evidence for reworking: artifact edges are unrounded. The distribution of suitable tool stone across the tidal flats is extensive (as it is elsewhere across this volcanic landscape). Further investigations, including refitting and taphonomic, geomorphological, and sedimentological studies are underway to test the alternative explanations and to provide more detailed context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an integrated study to classify Tamil Nadu Coast in terms of its vulnerability to coastal processes. It is accomplished through estimating Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) for the entire stretch of the said coast using weighted averages of six parameters, viz., geomorphology, shoreline changes, coastal slope, and relative sea level rise, mean significant wave height and mean tidal range. Thus, CVI evaluates the state of the coast in terms of level of risk hovering on it as and when it is affected by oceanic hazards. The target of this study is to evaluate the vulnerability status of coastal stretches of 35 taluks of Tamil Nadu. Twenty one percent of the coastal stretch is under very high vulnerability level. Following this is 36% stretch under high vulnerability state. Another 34% coastal stretch is in moderate setting. Low vulnerability state prevails about 6%. Further, it is learnt that there are only 2% of Tamil Nadu coastal region coming under the least vulnerable category. The study revealed the very high vulnerability of Nagapattinam coastal region. The present study may also help create awareness among people about marine natural hazards such as coastal erosion, inundation, loss of life and their properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bagnoli-Coroglio is a Site of National Interest (SNI) facing the Pozzuoli Bay that has been the place of an industrial activity for more than a century (1854-1985). The modern coastal geology of this area results from the recent evolution of an antecedent volcanic landscape that originated after a caldera collapse following the eruption of Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT) of Campi Flegrei (15 ka). After the NYT eruption, a shallow marine depression formed within the caldera collapse area that underwent progressive filling-up, due to volcaniclastic sediment input from the caldera borders, within a semi-enclosed source-to-sink system. The integrated interpretation of the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the Bagnoli-Coroglio area and the high resolution reflection seismic profiles acquired off the Pozzuoli Bay suggests that the present-day coastal plain of Bagnoli-Fuorigrotta and conterminous continental shelf represent the latest infilling phase of the annular depression (caldera 'collar') between the structural border of the NYT caldera and the inner caldera resurgent dome. The stratigraphic architecture and morpho-bathymetry of the Bagnoli inner shelf provide a record of the complex interplay between eustatic sea level changes, volcano-tectonic (ground/seafloor) deformation, and supply of volcaniclastic sediments, with associated coastline shifts over the last millennia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To answer the question "what has changed the surface temperatures of water bodies around Iran under climate change conditions," Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sea surface temperature (SST) data with 9.2-km spatial resolution and monthly time step were evaluated. A significant increasing trend was obtained using Pearson's correlation coefficient and Mann-Kendall trend test on data from the Caspian Sea (June) and the Southern Gulfs (September). High correlations of 0.69 and 0.97 between remotely sensed data and ERA-Interim reanalysis data were also obtained for June and September, respectively. To assess the impact of some climatic parameters on SST variability in those two months, zonal and meridional wind at 10 m, wind speed at 10 m, air temperature at 2 m, and mean sea level pressure were evaluated. High correlations between meridional wind and the Southern Gulf SST, and meridional wind and Caspian SST were −0.86 and 0.75, respectively. Moreover, the results showed an important role of air temperature (0.96) and sea level pressure (−0.77) in the rising temperature trends of the Southern Gulfs. Wind speed was also detected in both regions as a booster of the trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents experimental instructions on how to measure the rise in sea-level brought about by global warming. Contributing factors to rise in sea-level; Environmental impact of carbon dioxide levels.

This article reviews key measures of public opinion on sea-level rise (SLR): beliefs, attitudes, issue prioritization, and policy support. To do so, we first assess the influence of SLR beliefs and attitudes on issue prioritization and policy support using state-level data. Then, we compare the state findings to other surveys conducted in a hot spot of rising coastal waters, the U.S. Mid-Atlantic, to better understand the landscape of public opinion. Our findings indicate that, as in studies of climate change public opinion, belief certainty that SLR is happening and attitudes about its consequences significantly influence issue prioritization and policy support. Compared to climate change, SLR demonstrates less salience, but is similarly a low public priority. Nevertheless, the public supports governmental policies that address the issue, preferring strategies that discourage new construction in high risk areas and employ "soft" protection through natural barriers. Among the least popular approaches are those that implement hard barriers to defend against encroaching seas. Communication programs and public consultation by governments can benefit from the use of survey data to support evidence-based decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global sea-level rise (SLR) is among the most alarming aspects of anthropogenic climate change. The human impacts of SLR are experienced unequally between and within municipalities. Existing research has identified social variables that predict municipal adoption of adaptive SLR policy, but this work does not account for the locally specific social factors that shape particular policies to fit particular cases. This study describes social conceptions of the ocean and SLR policy for two coastal cities in western Washington: Aberdeen and Bainbridge Island. Examining conceptions of marine spaces provides insight into the complex process by which local physical and socio-demographic characteristics shape local policy. The study uses a grounded theoretical approach to content analyses, resulting in localized typologies of marine spaces as well as SLR policy profiles for each case. Results indicate that municipalities vary by both social conception of the ocean and SLR policy form. These findings elaborate upon the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and municipal climate change policy adoption, suggesting that in local media and policy discourse, the absence of relevant resources is related to adversarial conceptions of local marine spaces, while abundance of relevant resources is associated with a conception of marine spaces as natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]