Spread across vast distances, the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean are thought to have been populated by humans in two distinct migrations beginning approximately 3,330 years ago.
Tag: Sea Level Rise
Paris Agreement temperature targets may worsen climate injustice for many island states
While the world focuses on limiting the rise in global temperature to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius over the preindustrial average, increasing meltwater from ice sheets presents an existential threat to the viability of island and coastal nations throughout the world.
Major storm modeled to follow Fiona, possibly en route to Florida
The strongest hurricane of the Atlantic season caused death and destruction in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other parts of the Caribbean and continues to pose a threat along the eastern seaboard. But now models are predicting a storm that…

FAU Experts for the 2022 Hurricane Season
With the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season forecast to be above average activity with a higher probability of major hurricanes making landfall along the continental U.S. coastline, several FAU faculty experts are available to discuss various issues surrounding hurricane preparedness, evacuation and aftermath.
Desperate for change, island nations explore suing polluters
Facing an increasing amount of extreme weather and ever-rising sea levels, two island nations raised the possibility of claiming damages from major polluting countries through judicial means. The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda and the Pacific nation of Tuvalu…
UCLA Experts Available for Comment on “A Year of Climate Action” Stemming From the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Experts, affiliated with FSPH’s UCLA Center for Healthy Climate Solutions, are available for comment on issues raised by the IPCC report: Dr. Jonathan Fielding, UCLA FSPH distinguished professor of health policy and management and…
Rutgers to Lead Regional Large-Scale Coastlines and People Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub with Nearly $20M from National Science Foundation
Advancing its mission and leadership role to improve climate risk management critical to societal well-being, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey will lead a multi-university Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH) made possible by a grant through the National Science Foundation’s Coastlines and People (CoPe) Program with expected total funding of $19.9+ million over the next five years.
ITEP releases report examining effects of climate change on Indigenous peoples, lands and culture
As the climate changes and land, air and water are at risk, Native Americans, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous peoples are seeing their water sources dry up and their land disappear under rising sea levels. under attack from rising global temperatures. Researchers at the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals brought together a diverse group of more than 100 authors to produce a first-of-its-kind report that provides an in-depth looks at what tribal nations are doing to protect against the climate crisis.
UNH Receives $1.8 Million Grant to Study Road Resilience to Sea Level Rise
After a summer of high heat, steady sea level rise and devastating hurricanes, coastal roads have continued to take a severe beating resulting in endless wear and tear. Because these roadways have become increasingly vulnerable, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $1.8 million grant to researchers at the University of New Hampshire to study how and why coastal hazards like excessive flooding are causing roads to crack and crumble and find ways to protect them.
FAU Kicks Off Fall 2021 Virtual ‘Research in Action’ Series
“Research in Action” is a virtual weekly talk series on Zoom. Each week, participants can listen to experts in their fields as they present their latest research and participate in question-and-answer sessions.
War against climate change must include managed retreat – now
Climate change will shape the future of coastal communities, with flood walls, elevated structures and possibly floating cities used to combat sea level rise. New research has found that managed retreat must be part of the solution now, and not a last resort.
NASA study on global warming very concerning, Tulane scientist says
Torbjörn Törnqvist, the Vokes Geology Professor at Tulane University, says a NASA study showing 2020 the hottest year on record globally is especially concerning, given it occurred in a La Niña year. “A La Niña year tends to be cooler…

Climate Change Threatens U.S. Coastal Cities’ Most Affordable Housing With Flooding
Research co-authored by University of California scientists has found that by 2050, as many as 24,500 affordable housing units in the United States are projected to be exposed to coastal flooding.
Sentinel-6 sea level tracking satellite gives boost to climate science
A new satellite developed by engineers at the European Space Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will soon be orbiting the Earth, measuring sea level rise. The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will lift off Nov. 10 in a…
Marco and Laura: Two storms join pandemic and ongoing recovery as crises in the Gulf of Mexico
The University of Delaware has several experts who can comment on disaster response and the challenge of dealing with multiple crises as two major storms churn simultaneously in the Gulf of Mexico. Jennifer Trivedi: Has a new book about the 15th…

Warming Greenland ice sheet passes point of no return
Nearly 40 years of satellite data from Greenland shows that glaciers on the island have shrunk so much that even if global warming were to stop today, the ice sheet would continue shrinking.

Sea Level Rise Report: Impacts to Property and Regional Planning Solutions
A new study reveals that urgent action is needed to protect billions of dollars in real estate investment across South Florida due to impacts of sea level rise over the next several decades. The report casts light on the issues and clarifies the alternatives available to South Florida, which embraces the four counties of Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Together, these counties generate more than $337 billion in personal income annually with a combined real property value assessed at more than $833 billion.
Scientists predict active hurricane season, increasing calls for managed retreat from coasts
NASA scientists are concerned that warmer than average surface sea temperatures in the North Atlantic and wildfires in the Amazon will lead to a more active hurricane season. This brings with it concerns over sea level rise and flooding off…
Freeze in NYC sea wall study delays funding, solutions for at-risk coastline
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has abruptly ended a study of strategies to protect the New York-New Jersey coastline from rising seas and future devastating storms such as Hurricane Sandy that flooded coastal communities and killed scores of…

Robotic Submarine Snaps First Images at Foundation of Notorious Antarctic Glacier
These are the first-ever images taken at the foundations of the glacier that inspires more fear of sea-level rise than any other – Thwaites Glacier. The grounding line is integral to Thwaites’ fate and that of the world’s coastlines.
For now, river deltas gain land worldwide
Researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and colleagues found that delta areas worldwide have actually gained land in the past 30 years, despite river damming. However, recent land gains are unlikely to last throughout the 21st century due to expected, accelerated sea level rise. The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature.

Antarctic ice sheets could be at greater risk of melting than previously thought
Antarctica is the largest reservoir of ice on Earth – but new research by the University of South Australia suggests it could be at greater risk of melting than previously thought.
Tulane scientist embarks on mission to Florida-sized glacier
Geologist Brent Goehring is joining researchers from across the U.S. and the U.K. to research sea-level rise

BYE-BYE, BEACHES
Those beaches, as we know them today at least, almost certainly will not last. By the end of the 21st century, more than $150 billion in property along our coast could be under water. That’s because the level of the sea is rising at an alarming rate, putting these areas at risk for devastating floods.

With coastal waters rising, researchers provide first-ever national assessment of FEMA buyouts
A first-of-its-kind study of FEMA buyouts in flood-prone areas nationwide found that most occur in wealthy, denser counties, but that within those areas the most likely targets were vulnerable communities. The study paves the way for future research into equity, race and effectiveness of the buyouts.
While much of the focus on #Dorian has been on the gale force winds, #stormsurge will play a huge role in the #hurricane’s catastrophic impact, says Prof @KyleMandli. Given Dorian’s current track, a widespread surge is expected from Fl to the Carolin
Kyle Mandli models and simulates storm scenarios to develop strategies to protect against coastal disasters. He is especially focused on the impact of storm surge and sea level rise in a warming climate. An assistant professor of applied mathematics at…