Presentation Abstract
The many thousands of miles of Northwest marine coastline are extremely diverse and contain important human-built and natural assets upon which our communities and ecosystems depend. Due to the variety of coastal landform types (e.g., sandy beaches, rocky shorelines, bluffs of varying slopes and composition, river deltas, and estuaries), the region’s marine coastal areas stand to experience a wide range of climate impacts, in both type and severity. These impacts include increases in ocean temperature and acidity, erosion, and more severe and frequent inundation from the combined effects of rising sea levels and storms, among others.Increases in coastal inundation and erosion are key concerns. A recent assessment determined that the coastal areas of Washington and Oregon contain over 56,656 hectares(140,000 acres) of land within 1.0-meter (3.3-feet) elevation of high tide (Strauss et al. 2012).Rising sea levels coupled with the possibility of intensifying coastal storms will increase the likelihood of more severe coastal flooding and erosion in these areas.The Northwest is also facing the challenge of increasing ocean acidification, and is experiencing these changes earlier, and more acutely, than most other regions around the globe(NOAA OAR 2012).The Third National Climate Assessment is scheduled for release in the spring of 2014.The authors will provide an overview of the key Northwest coastal findings in this report as well as a summary of its primary companion report published by Island Press in December 2013,Climate Change in the Northwest: Implications for Our Landscapes, Waters, and Communities(Dalton et al 2013).
Session Title
Session S-07H: Assessing, Planning and Adapting to Climate Change Impacts in Skagit River Watershed
Conference Track
Shorelines
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
1-5-2014 3:30 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 5:00 PM
Location
Room 607
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Coast changes--Climatic factors--Northwest, Pacific; Climatic changes--Northwest, Pacific; Erosion--Climatic factors--Northwest, Pacific
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Northwest, Pacific
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Coastal Impacts of Climate Change in the Northwest: A Summary of the Findings of the upcoming National Climate Assessment
Room 607
The many thousands of miles of Northwest marine coastline are extremely diverse and contain important human-built and natural assets upon which our communities and ecosystems depend. Due to the variety of coastal landform types (e.g., sandy beaches, rocky shorelines, bluffs of varying slopes and composition, river deltas, and estuaries), the region’s marine coastal areas stand to experience a wide range of climate impacts, in both type and severity. These impacts include increases in ocean temperature and acidity, erosion, and more severe and frequent inundation from the combined effects of rising sea levels and storms, among others.Increases in coastal inundation and erosion are key concerns. A recent assessment determined that the coastal areas of Washington and Oregon contain over 56,656 hectares(140,000 acres) of land within 1.0-meter (3.3-feet) elevation of high tide (Strauss et al. 2012).Rising sea levels coupled with the possibility of intensifying coastal storms will increase the likelihood of more severe coastal flooding and erosion in these areas.The Northwest is also facing the challenge of increasing ocean acidification, and is experiencing these changes earlier, and more acutely, than most other regions around the globe(NOAA OAR 2012).The Third National Climate Assessment is scheduled for release in the spring of 2014.The authors will provide an overview of the key Northwest coastal findings in this report as well as a summary of its primary companion report published by Island Press in December 2013,Climate Change in the Northwest: Implications for Our Landscapes, Waters, and Communities(Dalton et al 2013).
