European Copernicus Services to Inform on Sea-Level Rise Adaptation: Current Status and Perspectives

Angélique Melet,Lorenzo Mentaschi,Carlo Buontempo,Pierre-Yves Le Traon,Lorenzo Solari,Matteo Mattiuzzi,Evangelos Voukouvalas,Peter Salamon,Pierre Bahurel,Freja Vamborg,Laurence Crosnier,George Breyiannis,Julien Nicolas,Samantha Burgess

doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.703425

Abstract

Sea-level rise is a direct consequence of climate change. Primarily due to ocean thermal expansion and transfer from land ice (glaciers, ice sheets) to the ocean, sea-level rise is therefore an integrated indicator of climate change. Coastal zones and communities are expected to be increasingly threatened by sea level changes, with various adverse and widespread impacts. The European Union’s Earth Observation Programmed, Copernicus, monitors our planet and its environment, for the ultimate benefit of society. This includes the monitoring of sea level changes and the provision of ancillary fields needed to assess sea-level rise coastal risks, to guide adaptation and to support related policies and directives. Copernicus is organized with a space component, including dedicated Earth Observation satellites (Sentinel missions), and services, which transform the wealth of satellite, in situ and integrated numerical model information into added-value datasets and information usable by scientists, managers and decision-makers, and the wider public. Here, an overview of the Copernicus products and services to inform on sea level rise adaptation is provided. Perspectives from Copernicus services on future evolutions to better inform on coastal sea level rise, associated risks, and support adaptation are also discussed.

Highlights

Sea-level (SL) changes are a major threat for coastal zones (Cazenave and Le Cozannet, 2014; Hinkel et al, 2015; Oppenheimer et al, 2019), causing flooding, salinization of soils, aquifers and surface water, degrading coastal ecosystems
This paper provides a review of the current status of Copernicus Services with respect to sea level rise adaptation, describing products, information and services provided to users
A higher-resolution along-track satellite product has been added to the CMEMS portfolio. This high-resolution altimetric product is at 5 Hz (1.3 km along the track), covers the North Atlantic and European Seas, and is provided together with the so-called geophysical corrections applied to the altimetric signal so that the physical content of the sea level from the data can be adapted to user needs

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Sea-level (SL) changes are a major threat for coastal zones (Cazenave and Le Cozannet, 2014; Hinkel et al, 2015; Oppenheimer et al, 2019), causing flooding, salinization of soils, aquifers and surface water, degrading coastal ecosystems. A higher-resolution along-track satellite product has been added to the CMEMS portfolio This high-resolution altimetric product is at 5 Hz (1.3 km along the track), covers the North Atlantic and European Seas, and is provided together with the so-called geophysical corrections applied to the altimetric signal (e.g., tides, dynamic atmospheric correction which includes storm surge signals, long-wave errors, etc.) so that the physical content of the sea level from the data can be adapted to user needs. Translating a given sea level (corresponding to the long-term mean SLR or to the sea level reached during extreme events, section “Sea-Level Change Hazard”) into exposure of land area, population and assets to coastal flood is essential to inform adaptation decisions. Average snowfall and an early start to the melting season resulted in early exposure of bare ice, which further enhanced melting, as bare ice reflects less solar energy than fresh snow, in what is termed melt-albedo feedback (e.g., Ryan et al, 2019)

A Service Layer

Findings

DISCUSSION