{"id":11036,"date":"2019-06-08T22:14:40","date_gmt":"2019-06-09T02:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?page_id=11036"},"modified":"2024-08-20T13:05:32","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T17:05:32","slug":"land-versus-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/land-versus-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"Land Versus Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
As sea levels rise, an epic battle takes shape on our coast, where incremental changes will have enormous impacts. A new project is coordinating invaluable measurements of marshland elevations to reveal the story as it unfolds.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s Sarah Spiegler, coordinator for the North Carolina Sentinel Site Cooperative, is facilitating an innovative new group at work on part of the climate change equation that we don\u2019t normally think about when we talk about sea level rise. By capitalizing on Surface Elevation Tables (SETs), the NC SET Community of Practice will create a more complete picture of the effects of climate change.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A few years ago, Galen Scott of NOAA\u2019s National Geodetic Survey used a simple exercise to illustrate how to think about coastal changes due to sea level rise. He raised his hands next to each other, palms facing downward. His left hand signified the water level, and his right hand signified the marsh edge. He then started moving his left hand up slightly and his right hand down slightly. In essence, he said, \u201cIf the water levels are higher than the marsh, that\u2019s when we\u2019re in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But he then moved his right hand slightly above his left, depicting what can happen when marshes gain elevation, building through sediment deposits and plant root production \u2014 potentially how marshes might \u201ckeep up with or outpace rising water levels.\u201d He then started moving both his hands up and down next to each other, explaining that understanding dynamic changes in water levels and in marsh elevation is crucial for coastal managers when making decisions about how to manage coastal resources in the face of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSea Level Rise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n