EPA Releases Report on Sea Level Rise
Posted on | February 1, 2009 | 4 Comments
(Washington, D.C. – Jan. 16, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with other agencies, has released a report that discusses the impacts of sea level rise on the coast, coastal communities, and the habitats and species that depend on them. The report, Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region, examines multiple opportunities for governments and coastal communities to plan for and adapt to rising sea levels.
Sea-level rise can affect coastal communities and habitats in a variety of different ways, including submerging low-lying lands, eroding beaches, converting wetlands to open water, intensifying coastal flooding, and increasing the salinity of estuaries and freshwater aquifers. It is caused by a number of natural and human-induced factors and can vary by region. Some impacts of sea-level rise can already be observed along the U.S. coast.
The primary causes of global sea-level rise are the expansion of ocean water due to warming and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Locally, sea-level rise is also influenced by changes to the geology of coastal land, making coastal elevation mapping an important area of future study. The Mid-Atlantic region, the focus of this report, is one of the areas in the U.S. that will likely see the greatest impacts due to rising waters, coastal storms, and a high concentration of population along the coastline.
EPA led the development of the report with significant contributions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The report is one of 21 climate change synthesis and assessment products commissioned by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP). CCSP was established in 2002 to provide the U.S. with science-based knowledge to manage the risks and opportunities of change in the climate and related environmental systems. The program is responsible for coordinating and integrating the research of 13 federal agencies on climate and global change.
More information on the report: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/coastal/sap4-1.html
Information on the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP): http://www.climatescience.gov/
Comments
4 Responses to “EPA Releases Report on Sea Level Rise”
Tags
Climate Change News
- U.S. Departments of Commerce and the Interior to Cooperate on Climate-Related ActivitiesU.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar formalized an agreement between the two departments to coordinate and cooperate on climate related activities involving science, services, mitigation, adaptation, education and communication. […]
- NOAA: Past Decade Warmest on Record According to Scientists in 48 CountriesThe 2009 State of the Climate report released Wednesday draws on data for 10 key climate indicators that all point to the same finding: the scientific evidence that our world is warming is unmistakable. […]
Earth FAQ
- Why aren't we drilling in the Bakken Formation?Oil has been produced from the Bakken Formation since the 1950’s. Please see our slideshow presentation for context at http://energy.usgs.gov/flash/Bakken_slideshow.swf. The USGS does not maintain statistics on oil production, however, this information can be obtained from publicly available sources like the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources […]
- How do I access the online USGS Publications Warehouse?The USGS Publications Warehouse (http://pubs.usgs.gov/) has released a new interface and a variety of new content and features. The new version of this tool now includes citations for USGS-authored content including journal articles, books, book chapters, proceedings, and other research written by USGS staff but published commercially. […]
- What is National Land Imaging?NLI is a concept that places a single agency in charge of future civil operational land remote sensing satellite acquisition, operation, and data management. These three functions have been separated historically and assigned to several different agencies. Currently, DOI performs two of them – operations and data management. With NLI comes a broad responsi […]
U.S. Geological Survey
- Climate Change Implicated in Decline of Horseshoe CrabsLEETOWN, W. Va. — A distinct decline in horseshoe crab numbers has occurred that parallels climate change associated with the end of the last Ice Age, according to a study that used genomics to assess historical trends in population sizes. The new research also indicates that horseshoe crabs numbers may continue to decline in the future because of predi […]
- An island's rebirth: Life emerges after a catastrophic volcanic eruptionAnchorage, Alaska — A secluded island in the Aleutian chain is revealing secrets of how land and marine ecosystems react to and recover from a catastrophic volcanic eruption that appeared at first glance to destroy all life on the island. Yet little by little – a wingless beetle here, a tuft of grass there, Kasatochi, an island in the Alaska Maritime Nat […]
- Glaciers Retreating in AsiaMany of Asia’s glaciers are retreating as a result of climate change. This retreat impacts water supplies to millions of people, increases the likelihood of outburst floods that threaten life and property in nearby areas, and contributes to sea-level rise. The U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with 39 international scientists, published a report on […]
February 15th, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
worldcitizen.net – now in my rss reader)))
————————
signature: http://dewat.ru/
February 15th, 2009 @ 9:23 pm
worldcitizen.net – cool sitename man)))
————————
ads: http://gabbyn2rp.lised.ru/
February 16th, 2009 @ 7:11 pm
yo, worldcitizen.net great name for site)))
————————
signature: http://sudeg.ru/
February 17th, 2009 @ 2:15 pm
Hello, I can’t understand how to add your blog ( worldcitizen.net ) in my rss reader
————————
my blog: http://potet.ru/