Earth and Planetary Sciences
8 years ago

Sea level rise driving coastal erosion at alarming rates, study finds.

Eos
Sea level rise shown to drive coastal erosion
Stephen P. Leatherman, Keqi Zhang, Bruce C. Douglas

Paper Summary

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Sea level rise is a major factor in causing coastal erosion on sandy beaches. The rate of shoreline retreat is about 150 times faster than the rise in sea level, leading to significant erosion. For instance, a 10 cm rise in sea level could result in 15 meters of shoreline erosion. Other factors like inlet dynamics and coastal engineering projects also play a role in beach changes, especially on the US east coast. Despite these factors, sea level rise remains a significant contributor to beach erosion in these areas.