Intensified Coastal Hazards from Climate Change on U.S. Southeast Coast

Intensified Coastal Hazards from Climate Change on U.S. Southeast Coast

While previous research has largely focused on flooding, the new study highlights additional threats such as groundwater hazards, land subsidence, and beach erosion. These hazards, often underappreciated in climate discussions, will be amplified by sea levels projected to rise by one meter over the next century. The study estimates that up to 70% of coastal residents and $1 trillion in property could face challenges from shallow and emerging groundwater. This risk is 15 times greater than the exposure to daily tidal flooding alone.

Figure a, Coastal flooding (no storm), shallow groundwater exposure and erosion (unimpeded model case) for one meter of sea-level rise and observed vertical land motion (VLM) across the Southeast Atlantic coast. be, A section of the city of Miami Beach showing coastal flooding (no storm; b), shallow groundwater exposure (c) and erosion (unimpeded model case) for 1.00 m of SLR (d) and observed VLM (e).

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