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Is the intensifying wave climate of the U.S. Pacific Northwest increasing flooding and erosion risk faster than sea level rise?

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Title Is the intensifying wave climate of the U.S. Pacific Northwest increasing flooding and erosion risk faster than sea level rise?
Names Ruggiero, Peter (creator)
Date Issued 2013-03 (iso8601)
Note This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by the American Society of Civil Engineers and can be found at: http://ascelibrary.org/toc/jwped5/current.
Abstract The relative contributions of sea level rise (SLR) and increasing extra-tropical
storminess to the frequency with which waves attack coastal features is assessed with a simple
total water level (TWL) model. For the coast of the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW) over the
period of wave-buoy observations (~30 years) wave height (and period) increases have had a
more significant role in the increased frequency of coastal flooding and erosion than has the
rise in sea level. Where tectonic-induced vertical land motions are significant and coastlines
are presently emergent relative to mean sea level, increasing wave heights results in these
stretches of coast being possibly submergent relative to the TWL. While it is uncertain whether
wave height increases will continue into the future, it is clear that this process could remain
more important than or at least as important as SLR for the coming decades, and needs to be
taken into account in terms of the increasing exposure of coastal communities and ecosystems
to flooding and erosion.
Genre Article
Topic Coastal erosion
Identifier Ruggiero, P. (2013). ”Is the Intensifying Wave Climate of the U.S. Pacific Northwest Increasing Flooding and Erosion Risk Faster Than Sea-Level Rise?.” Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering, 139(2), 88–97.

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