Challenge at the Edge: Long-Term Sea Level Rise vs. Short-Term Extreme Events

California and most other coastlines around the nation and the world are being impacted by both long-term sea-level rise (SLR) and short-term extreme events. Global sea level over the last 10 years of satellite altimetry has averaged approximately 4.1 mm/yr. (~16 in./100 yrs.), although this rate is...

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Main Author: Gary B. Griggs
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/6/1123
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author Gary B. Griggs
author_facet Gary B. Griggs
author_sort Gary B. Griggs
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description California and most other coastlines around the nation and the world are being impacted by both long-term sea-level rise (SLR) and short-term extreme events. Global sea level over the last 10 years of satellite altimetry has averaged approximately 4.1 mm/yr. (~16 in./100 yrs.), although this rate is accelerating at about 1.2 mm/yr. per decade. Projections of future sea levels have now been developed by many different agencies, organizations, and committees, and cluster around 12 inches by 2050. Over the near term, however, until mid-century, and likely beyond, it will be the short-term extreme events such as hurricanes along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and the coincidence of very large waves and high astronomic tides along the U.S. Pacific coasts that will pose the major threat to both public infrastructure and private development.
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spelling doaj-art-efa8c54ff9b14a8eb52807cbf16e4a042025-08-20T03:16:32ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122025-06-01136112310.3390/jmse13061123Challenge at the Edge: Long-Term Sea Level Rise vs. Short-Term Extreme EventsGary B. Griggs0Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USACalifornia and most other coastlines around the nation and the world are being impacted by both long-term sea-level rise (SLR) and short-term extreme events. Global sea level over the last 10 years of satellite altimetry has averaged approximately 4.1 mm/yr. (~16 in./100 yrs.), although this rate is accelerating at about 1.2 mm/yr. per decade. Projections of future sea levels have now been developed by many different agencies, organizations, and committees, and cluster around 12 inches by 2050. Over the near term, however, until mid-century, and likely beyond, it will be the short-term extreme events such as hurricanes along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and the coincidence of very large waves and high astronomic tides along the U.S. Pacific coasts that will pose the major threat to both public infrastructure and private development.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/6/1123sea level riseextreme eventscoastal hazardsCalifornia coast
spellingShingle Gary B. Griggs
Challenge at the Edge: Long-Term Sea Level Rise vs. Short-Term Extreme Events
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
sea level rise
extreme events
coastal hazards
California coast
title Challenge at the Edge: Long-Term Sea Level Rise vs. Short-Term Extreme Events
title_full Challenge at the Edge: Long-Term Sea Level Rise vs. Short-Term Extreme Events
title_fullStr Challenge at the Edge: Long-Term Sea Level Rise vs. Short-Term Extreme Events
title_full_unstemmed Challenge at the Edge: Long-Term Sea Level Rise vs. Short-Term Extreme Events
title_short Challenge at the Edge: Long-Term Sea Level Rise vs. Short-Term Extreme Events
title_sort challenge at the edge long term sea level rise vs short term extreme events
topic sea level rise
extreme events
coastal hazards
California coast
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/6/1123
work_keys_str_mv AT garybgriggs challengeattheedgelongtermsealevelrisevsshorttermextremeevents