A North Carolina Lifeline Built on Shifting Sands
Last August, when Hurricane Irene sliced across the Outer Banks, it cut Highway 12, Hatteras Island’s lifeline, in two places. Engineers rushed to repair the damage, but very soon after completion, the winds and waves that shape the coast were already gnawing at the new bridge.
Rising Seas To Have Uneven Consequences For California Beach Towns
There will be winners and there will be losers as Southern California beaches erode unevenly in response to rising sea levels over the next century, according to a new study. Using models to project how climate change would alter the width of the sand, attendance and visitor spending at 51 public beaches in Los Angeles and OC counties, a team of researchers examined the physical and economic effects of permanent beach loss…
Global Permafrost Zones in High-Resolution Images On Google Earth
Thawing permafrost will have far-reaching ramifications for populated areas, infrastructure and ecosystems. A geographer from the University of Zurich reveals where it is important to confront the issue based on new permafrost maps.
Palm Beach County’s new beach erosion fight reignites sea turtle concerns
About two-thirds of Palm Beach County’s 46 miles of beach is considered “critically eroded,” according to state standards, and environmentalists question proposed beach erosion-fighting structures.
Beach Erosion Causes 18-Foot Cliffs In Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey, is blocking access to a half-mile stretch of beachfront after erosion created cliffs as high as 18 feet. It will be at least four months until the beaches will be open to the public again.
Oil Spill Brings Attention to Delicate Gulf Coast
For decades, farmers and fishermen along the Gulf of Mexico watched as their sensitive ecosystem’s waters slowly got dirtier and islands eroded, all while the country largely ignored the slow, methodical ruin of an ecosystem vital to the U.S. economy…
Britain Ranks Top Risks Posed by Climate Change
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has identified potential opportunities and threats for the UK that could arise as a result of climate change. Beaches and historic coastlines are likely to be reshaped by coastal erosion, with the rate expected to increase fourfold, the report said.
Coastal Storms Have Long-Reaching Effects, Study Says
Coastal storms are known to cause serious damage along the shoreline, but they also cause significant disruption of the deep-sea ecosystem as well, according to a study of extreme coastal storms in the Western Mediterranean.
Bold Plan Proposed to Save Coastal Louisiana
A $50 billion, 50-year proposal aspires to stop coastal land loss in Louisiana. Since the 1930s, the state’s coast has lost about 1,900 square miles, an area larger than Rhode Island.