Building peace in the minds of men and women

Project 639 - Sea Level Changes from minutes to millenia

Brief outline of the project

Sea-level changes over timescales from minutes to millennia are of great concern to coastal communities. Long-term changes in sea level due to the solid earths response to glaciation and tectonics are the background rate upon which the hazard from anthropogenic sea-level change and extreme inundation from tsunamis and storms must be superimposed. Short-term measurements from instrumental and historical records provide short glimpses at the hazard posed by sea-level change over varying temporalscales but must be placed within the long-term context that only geological andarchaeological records provide.

This project will provide a platform for the development of integrated records of sea-level change and coastal hazards obtained from instrumental, historical, archaeological, and geological records. This project will place a particular focus on integrating disparate records in growth regions for science, namely in Africa, South America, and the Middle East, expanding upon previous coastal (495, 588) and delta projects (475) that focussed for the most part on Europe and Asia. Further, this project expands upon the research theme of project 588 that focused on the impacts of humans on coastal landscapes. This project will result in a coastal hazard toolkit that can be applied by those most at risk from future coastal inundation.

Related Information

  • Duration: 2016-2020
  • IGCP Theme: Global Change
  • Website

Contact

  • Dr. Simon Engelhart (USA)
    Address: University of Rhode Island, Woodward Hall 336, 9 East Alumni Avenue, Kingston, RI 02860 - (USA)
    E-mail: engelhart@uri.edu