HW_Sea Level NYC

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EES0842

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Electrical Engineering

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Dec 6, 2023

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EES 0836 Sea Level Rise in New York City Disasters: Geology vs. Hollywood Introduction We are going to start by examining some trends in relative sea level change. “Relative sea level changes” refer to changes in sea level relative to a point on land that is also changing. Individual coastlines undergo their own vertical changes due to tectonic activity, erosion, coastal subsidence, etc., so although global sea level as a whole is currently rising, different geographic areas are experiencing different local relative rates of sea level rise. In some places (like parts of Alaska), tectonic activity is causing gradual uplift of the coastline, so local relative sea level is actually falling, even while global sea levels rise. Learning Objectives : ● Indicate how sea level rise will have an impact on coastal areas in New York City. (2, 5, c) ● Criticize how the government responds to preparing our coastal areas for future flooding events. (2,3, d) Part 1 : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Navigate to the NOAA Sea Level Trend viewer. You should see a map like the one included that shows parts of North America and Central America. Take a look at the legend below the map, illustrating sea level trends listed in millimeters per year, and, in parentheses, feet per century. Every arrow on the map represents a different station along the coast that collects sea level data. The sea level trend measurement for each station can be viewed by clicking on the appropriate arrow.

EES 0836 Part 2 : New York City Zoom in on the map by clicking on “East Coast”. Compare the colors of the relative sea level trend arrows around Philadelphia and New Orleans. 1. What is the average relative sea level trend around Philadelphia? Express your answers in mm/year, and make sure that your answer includes whether the sea level trend is positive (rising) or negative (dropping). The trend is positive, rising about 3.07 mm per year. 2. What is it around New Orleans? Express your answers in mm/year, and make sure that your answer includes whether the sea level trend is positive (rising) or negative (dropping). The trend is positive, rising about 6.22 mm per year. 3. What do you think might explain the difference in relative sea level trends between Philadelphia (and most of the East Coast) and the area of the Gulf Coast around New Orleans? The areas in which Philadelphia and New Orleans are located explain why they have different sea level trends. New Orleans is closer to the Gulf Coast which is rising at a faster rate than the East Coast. Let’s focus on the area around NYC. Zoom in on the map so you can see the 4 individual arrows in this area clearly. For reference, here is a map of the five boroughs of New York City. We are going to focus on the two sea level trend arrows that fall within the limits of NYC itself. These are “The Battery” at the southern tip of Manhattan, and “Bergen Point” on the northern part of Staten Island. 1. What is the relative sea level trend at each of these two locations? a. The Battery: 2.9 mm per year b. Bergen Point: 4.37 per year 2. What is the average trend for NYC if we take the average of these two points? Express your answers in mm/year, and make sure that your answer includes whether the sea level trend is positive (rising) or negative (dropping). The trend is positive, rising on average 3.64 mm per year.

EES 0836 3. NYC experienced significant coastal flooding as a result of the storm surge from Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Based on your answer to Question 3, how much has relative sea level changed in NYC since Hurricane Sandy hit? Express your answers in mm, and make sure that your answer includes whether the sea level trend is positive (rising) or negative (dropping). We will see a greater extent and greater frequency of coastal flooding from storms even if the storms don’t get any stronger. In 2012, the sea level was rising at an average positive rate of about 0.07 mm per year. Since then, the trend has been positive and it has risen about 0.05 mm since Hurricane Sandy. 4. If you own property along the coastline in New York City, would these trends concern you? Explain your reasoning. The trends would concern me depending on my location in New York City. That is because gradually over time, it will begin to go further into the coastline, impacting infrastructure, housing, natural resources, and more. I would fight for NYC to install draining systems or sea walls to help the negative effects from increasing sea levels. Part 3 : Flooding With a population of nearly 20 million people and 2400 km of coastline, the NYC region is susceptible to even small changes in sea level. As sea levels rise, the magnitude and frequency of coastal flooding increases. While it is impossible to attribute a single storm, like Hurricane Sandy, entirely to climate change, higher sea levels certainly did increase the extent and magnitude of the coastal flooding. When scientists and stakeholders consider potential impacts of sea level rise, they often consider a particular area’s susceptibility to a 100-year flood event and how sea level rise could increase the probability of a 100-year flood in the area. The included figure shows the extent of the 100-year floodplain in 2013 (just post-Sandy) and estimates of the extent of the 100-year floodplain in the 2020s and 2050s as it changes due to rising sea levels.

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