| Title | Dynamic coasts in a changing climate |
| Download | Downloads |
|
|
| Licence | Please note the adoption of the Open Government Licence - Canada
supersedes any previous licences. |
| Author | Atkinson, D E; Forbes, D L ; James, T S; Couture, N J; Manson, G K |
| Source | Canada's marine coasts in a changing climate; by Lemmen, D S (ed.); Warren, F J (ed.); James, T S (ed.); Mercer Clarke, C S L (ed.); 2016 p. 27-68  Open Access |
| Image |  |
| Year | 2016 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20150122 |
| Publisher | Government of Canada (Ottawa) |
| Document | book |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| Related | This publication is contained in Canada's marine coasts in a
changing climate |
| Related | This publication is a translation of Un littoral dynamique
dans un contexte de climat en mutation |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | British Columbia; Alberta; Saskatchewan; Manitoba; Ontario; Quebec; New Brunswick; Nova Scotia; Prince Edward Island; Newfoundland and Labrador; Northwest Territories; Yukon; Nunavut; Canada |
| NTS | 1; 2; 3; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48; 49; 52; 53; 54; 55; 56; 57; 58; 59; 62; 63; 64; 65;
66; 67; 68; 69; 72; 73; 74; 75; 76; 77; 78; 79; 82; 83; 84; 85; 86; 87; 88; 89; 92; 93; 94; 95; 96; 97; 98; 99; 102; 103; 104; 105; 106; 107; 114O; 114P; 115; 116; 117; 120; 340; 560 |
| Lat/Long WENS | -141.0000 -50.0000 90.0000 41.7500 |
| Subjects | marine geology; sedimentology; Nature and Environment; climate; climate effects; coastal environment; coastal studies; coastal erosion; shorelines; shoreline changes; shoreface deposits; shore features;
tides; tidal power; tidal environments; sea level fluctuations; sea level changes; Climate change; Coastal management |
| Illustrations | location maps; photographs; images; graphs; histograms |
| Program | Climate Change Impacts and
Adaptation |
| Program | Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Canada in a Changing Climate |
| Released | 2016 01 01; 2022 12 29 |
| Abstract | (Summary)
Canadian marine coasts are highly variable and naturally dynamic systems. The impacts of climate change, currently manifested primarily in terms of changes in sea ice cover and the
impacts of extreme weather events, will become more pronounced over coming decades. Increased extreme water levels are expected to drive increased rates of coastal erosion. Dyked areas, coastal regions with little relief, and coastlines composed of
unlithified sediments are more susceptible to erosion than high, rocky coastlines. In the Arctic, increased air and water temperatures will further degrade and thaw permafrost, loosening ice-bonded sediments and also contributing to erosion (Forbes,
2011).
Long term changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme coastal water levels and marine flooding in Canada will be driven primarily by changes in mean sea level and by sea ice changes, although tides, storm surge, and waves will
continue to play prominent roles. Rates of changes in relative sea-level, largely related to glacial isostatic adjustments, are highly variable across Canada (e.g. >3 mm/year of sea level rise at Halifax, NS and >9 mm/year of sea level fall at
Churchill, MB over the past century). The magnitude of past and present changes of sea level in some regions makes it more challenging to identify the effects of accelerated sea-level rise associated with climate warming. These impacts will be more
evident in subsequent decades, as rates of global sea-level rise increase further. Regions experiencing increases in mean sea level will increasingly see more frequent water levels that cause flooding today and higher extreme water levels.
In the
near term, climate-change impacts on Canada¿s coasts will continue to be most evident in terms of extreme weather events and, particularly in the East and North coast regions, decreasing sea ice cover. There are important linkages between the two as,
when present, sea ice serves to protect coasts from potential wave impacts associated with severe storms (and the absence of sea ice can lead to enhanced wave energy and coastal erosion). Impacts of extreme weather events are not limited to wave
erosion and storm surge flooding, but also include strong winds and heavy precipitation that can damage infrastructure and cause flooding of coastal communities and assets. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
Canadian marine coasts are highly variable and naturally dynamic systems. The impacts of climate change, currently manifested primarily in terms of
changes in sea ice cover and the impacts of extreme weather events, will become more pronounced over coming decades. Long term changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme coastal water levels and marine flooding in Canada will be driven
primarily by changes in mean sea level and by sea ice changes, although tides, storm surge, and waves will continue to play prominent roles. Rates of changes in relative sea-level, largely related to glacial isostatic adjustments, are highly variable
across Canada. Regions projected to experience increases in mean sea level will increasingly see more frequent water levels that cause flooding today and higher extreme water levels. In the near term, climate-change impacts on Canada¿s coasts will
continue to be most evident in terms of extreme weather events and decreasing sea ice cover. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 296721 |
|
|