Resources for Evaluating the Impacts of Sea Level Rise
Multiple research and planning projects are exploring the potential consequences of rising sea levels in California and producing information useful to those seeking to understand the impacts on specific coastal regions and assets, both human-built and natural. These efforts employ a variety of data and modeling techniques, work at different scales, and focus on different types of impacts, all elements that are important to understand when evaluating what to use in a particular climate change planning effort. In general, the research is not mutually exclusive but complementary, offering different approaches and supporting different kinds of decisions.
Related Resources:
Article: Understanding Sea Level Rise
Regional Strategies for Sea Level Rise Adaptation
Sea Level Rise Analysis Tools
Large Scale Resources
| Geo Focus | Originator | Title | Resources | Description and Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States coastline | NOAA Coastal Services Center | Digital Coast | Website Toolkit Map Viewer |
Government program offering tools, training, and a community of practice for coastal resource management professionals. |
| California | Heberger, et. al., Pacific Institute, for the PIER California Climate Center | Potential impacts of increased coastal flooding in California due to sea-level rise | Publication Dataset |
Research evaluating the potential economic and population impacts of coastal flooding. |
Regional and Local Resources
| Geo Focus | Originator | Title | Resources | Description and Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay and Delta | USGS | CASCaDE | Website Publication Publication Map Viewer |
Modeling and research effort that has produced maps of areas vulnerable to inundation based on a combination of climate model outputs and empirical models and incorporates astronomical, storm surge, El Niño, and long‐term sea level rise influences. |
| San Francisco Bay | PRBO Conservation Science | Future San Francisco Bay Tidal Marshes: a Climate Smart Planning Tool | Website Map Viewer Publication |
Research applying a hybrid model using an earlier version of this DEM dataset and spatially-explicit estimates of sediment supply and organic matter accumulation applied to examine future habitat change, restoration potential, and considerations for prioritization across the Bay estuary. |
| San Francisco Bay and outer coast | PRBO Conservation Science | Our Coast Our Future | Website | Stakeholder-driven project producing online dynamic maps and helpful tools to support understanding of coastal resource vulnerabilities to sea level rise and storms. Planned for release in early 2013. |
| 12 marsh sites in the San Francisco Bay area | Takekawa et. al., USGS | Sea-level rise modeling across the California salt marsh gradient | Website Publication Dataset Article |
Research incorporating site-specific elevation data, local tidal conditions, marsh accretion rates, and habitat response to project possible future outcomes and management implications for marsh habitat at 12 sites surrounding the San Francisco Bay estuary. |
3/2018