Climate Change In Coastal Areas Research Articles

Intensified upwelling: normalized sea surface temperature trends expose climate change in coastal areas

Abstract. Eastern boundary upwelling systems (EBUSs) provide valuable natural resources due to their high primary production. However, there is significant uncertainty in how climate change may affect the mechanisms that sustain these ecosystems in the future. Therefore, assessing the effects of climate change on EBUSs under the current global warming scenario is crucial for efficient ecosystem management. In 1990, Andrew Bakun suggested an increase in the upwelling intensity due to the rise of the ocean–land pressure gradient. Since there is a significant link between thermal gradients and offshore Ekman transport, we use sea level pressure (SLP) and deseasonalized sea surface temperature (SST) data from remote sensing to elucidate this hypothesis and validate it using in situ observations. SST is an indicator of coastal upwelling, and our long-term analysis of monthly and deseasonalized SST records shows that the seasonal and synoptic processes have minimal influence on the SST–upwelling intensity relationship. Upwelling within the same EBUS is not usually evenly distributed along coastlines, leading to upwelling in specific areas, referred to as upwelling centers. We compare the SST trends in the main upwelling centers of the four EBUSs with those in open ocean waters through a new index, αUI, designed to characterize upwelling changes in the EBUS. An a-dimensional number allows us to normalize the trends independently of the upwelling system and compare all of them. Furthermore, we have complemented the SST index with sea level pressure gradient data. This new index (supported by SLP gradient trends) indicates intensification in all the EBUSs, revealing a coherent pattern within EBUSs in the same ocean (i.e., Canarian and Benguela or Californian and Humboldt upwelling systems).

Nature-Based Solution for Climate Change Adaptation: Coastal Habitats Restoration in Xiamen Bay, China

Nature-based solutions (NbSs) of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration have been paid increasing attention as an essential approach to slow down climate change. However, to what degree an NbS approach will contribute to the combined effects of human intervention and climate change has not been well studied. From a habitat quality perspective, we set four NbS scenarios to analyze whether the NbS—mangrove restoration in particular—will be enough for climate change in Xiamen Bay of Fujian Province, China. The habitat quality module of the InVEST model (InVEST-HQ) and the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) were used to simulate the spatial-temporal changes in habitat types and habitat quality. Results show that (1) rising sea levels will cause coastal squeeze effects, impacting habitat quality due to erosion and inundation in the study area; (2) mangrove restoration is an effective way to mitigate climate change effects and to increase habitat quality; and (3) further analysis of the effectiveness of mangrove restoration shows that the consideration of mangrove fragmentation effects and sea-use impacts are necessary. The findings in this study will enrich the international discussion of NbSs to climate change in coastal areas.

Case Study on the Adaptive Assessment of Floods Caused by Climate Change in Coastal Areas of the Republic of Korea

This study aims to assess the adaptability of coastal areas in the Republic of Korea to future climate change-induced flooding. Coastal areas can be susceptible to complex external factors, including rainfall, tide levels, storm surge wave overtopping, etc. The study employs an integrated approach to address this, connecting hydrological and marine engineering technologies. The models utilized in this study encompass XP-SWMM, ADCIRC, SWAN, and FLOW-3D. This study analyzed floods in 2050 and 2100, considering expected rainfall patterns, sea level rising, and an increase in typhoon intensity based on climate change scenarios for six coastal areas in the Republic of Korea. We reviewed the adaptability of flooding to climate change in each region.

Composition and storage of soil inorganic carbon as well as the controlling factors in coastal area of the northern Jiangsu, China.

The sequestration of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) especially pedogenic carbonate (PC) is one of the important pathways reducing the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and thus mitigating climate change in coastal areas. Using the technology of 13C stable isotope, we analyzed the differences in the composition and storage of SIC, and explored the key physicochemical properties influencing soil PC storage in different horizons (0-10, 11-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 and 81-100 cm) from Suaeda salsa wetland (SS), Spartina alterniflora wetland (SA), young poplar plantation (YP), and mature poplar plantation (MP) in coastal area of the northern Jiangsu Province. The results showed that except for the surface (0-10 cm) soil in MP, the SIC content was higher than SOC in all soil horizons. Overall, neither the soil PC to SIC ratio nor the SIC storage were significantly different in SA and SS soils. Compared to wetland soils (0-40 cm), the soil PC to SIC ratio was reduced by 32.7% and 54.1% and the PC storage was reduced by 40.5% and 59.2%, the lithogenic carbonate (LC) storage changed little, while the SIC storage was reduced by 21.0% and 17.9%, respectively in the YP and MP soils. Compared to the YP soils (0-100 cm), both the soil PC to SIC ratio and the PC storage were significantly reduced while the LC storage was significantly increased, especially at the 41-100 cm soil horizons, meanwhile, the SIC storage was not significantly changed in the MP soils. Results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that key factors influencing soil PC storage were the ratio of PC to SIC, followed by the SOC content and bulk density. SOC could inhibit the formation of soil PC. Generally, the coastal wetlands have greater SIC storage and sequestration potential than poplar plantations, and the PC sequestration can be regulated by modulating the ratio of PC to SIC and SOC content.

Projections of the Adriatic wave conditions under climate changes

Assessing the impact of climate change on wave conditions, including average and extreme waves, is vital for numerous marine-related activities, industries, coastal vulnerability, and marine habitats. Previous research, primarily on a large scale, has investigated this topic, but its relevance for marginal basins like the Adriatic Sea is limited due to the low resolution of the wave models used and atmospheric forcing. To contribute to filling in the gap, here we implemented a high-resolution model (about 2 km) for the period 1992–2050. The future wave climate is simulated for the RCP8.5 emission scenario. This model, developed within the AdriaClim project, comprises, among others, a high-resolution atmospheric downscaling, a circulation Limited Area Model and a spectral wave model. A comparison of our simulation's results with Copernicus Marine Service wave reanalysis on the historical baseline, confirms its accuracy in reproducing both average wave parameters and 95th percentile values, as well as the seasonal cycle, showing the AdriaClim model's suitability as a source to predict future wave climates in the Adriatic Sea. The projected changes suggest a slight increase in average significant wave height and mean wave period, and a more significant decrease at the 95th percentile, with a relevant variability by location and season, partially aligning with previous studies. This study highlights the potential effect of local climate change in coastal areas and the importance of developing long-term simulation with a downscaled modeling system for regional areas.

STEM learning design to train student’s system thinking skills on climate change

Climate change in coastal areas is a complex problem that involves value systems and requires various scientific disciplines. Integration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) approach is needed in learning so that it can train students to think holistically, structured and systematically. This research was carried out with the aim of producing an appropriate STEM learning design to train students' systems thinking skills on climate change material. The type of research is research and development using the analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation (ADDIE) model. The trial subjects in this research were 28 class VIII students of SMP Muhammadiyah 12 GKB Gresik, East Java. The research instruments were validation sheets of lesson plan and student worksheets, observation sheets, and systems thinking skills assessment sheets. The research results show; (1) The Extraordinary Lesson Plan (ELP) and student worksheet of STEM learning design development which are measured through Aiken Validity with a value of 0.89 ≥ 0.6 in the valid category; (2) The STEM learning design developed is in the practical category with an average score of 3.5; and (3) students' systems thinking abilities in climate change material are in the good category. It can be concluded that the STEM learning design developed to train junior high school students' systems thinking skills was feasible to be used in learning.

Living and adapting to climate change in coastal areas. A case study on citizens' perception of an infrastructure: the MOSE in Venice

Living and adapting to climate change in coastal areas. A case study on citizens' perception of an infrastructure: the MOSE in Venice

Living and adapting to climate change in coastal areas. A case study on citizens' perception of an infrastructure: the MOSE in Venice

Living and adapting to climate change in coastal areas. A case study on citizens' perception of an infrastructure: the MOSE in Venice

Analysis of Shoreline and Erosion Changes along the West African Coast from 1980 to 2020

The manifestations of climate change in coastal areas may represent a serious threat to livelihoods and lives. In West Africa, where many capital cities are located with a high concentration of people, shoreline changes have been studied in some port cities and beaches. This study investigates the changes along the coastline of West Africa from 1980 to 2020 at a regional scale including twelve countries. Spatial technique, remote sensing and GIS were employed in the assessment and analysis and monitoring of the shoreline changes from Mauritania to Nigeria. The findings revealed noticeable decadal changes with the most significant change evident from 1980 to 1990. The study further indicates that the coasts of Senegal and Guinea and Guinea Bissau experienced significant shift in the shoreline as it moved landward from 1980 to 1990. The results of the geospatial analysis indicates that erosion and accretion trends were dominated by loss of coastal land totaling 17372.45 km2 from 1980 to 1990 with erosion rates higher than areas gained through accretion. The difference between erosion and accretion rates between 1980-1990 period is 15,769.8 km2 with erosion rates on the increase. Study has provided to demonstrate decadal changes of coastal erosion and shoreline changes that characterize the West Africa coast from 1980-2020 highlighting its vulnerability. The study recommends concerted effort by relevant authorities in the region in mitigating against the adverse the consequences of sea level rise at a regional scale.

Are We Underestimating the Risk of Coastal Flooding in Europe? The Relevance of Critical Infrastructure

The effects of climate change imply an increase in the risk levels due to coastal flooding. These areas present a high concentration of population and economic activity. The failure of critical infrastructures (CI) serving these communities can have significant impacts on these sectors. This study aims to analyze the risk and its future evolution due to climate change in coastal areas, considering the increased impact that the population would experience if the CI (of the energy or water and waste treatment sectors) were affected by coastal flooding. The methodology used has made it possible to analyze the risk of the Functional Urban Areas (FUA) of the European coasts, identifying the areas in which the level of risk to the population is significantly underestimated. In some of these areas and scenarios, the population affected by coastal flooding if the failure of the CI occurs would be up to 4.5 times higher than what is estimated if only their direct impact is considered.

Climate Change Literacy of Coastal Disaster-Prone Communities in Realizing Climate Action for Sustainable Physics Learning

Climate change can cause an increase in rainfall, accelerated erosion and runoff of water on the surface, drought, and excess water, which in turn causes floods and landslides. A proactive response to disasters is needed to increase management effectiveness and reduce loss of life and property. Efforts to reduce the risk of hydrometeorological disasters can be carried out by involving the community. Disaster management knowledge and skills can save more lives and as a provision to respond to disasters. Therefore, research will be carried out to determine the profile of people’s climate awareness and literacy in dealing with disasters caused by climate change, especially in coastal areas. A qualitative research design with the type of descriptive study is used to describe the profile of people’s understanding of disasters caused by climate change, disaster risk mitigation/reduction, and ways of adaptation. Data collection will be carried out by researchers using in-depth interview techniques and field observations so that they can show the presence and involvement of researchers. The research results show that the community’s climate literacy skills, especially regarding knowledge about climate change, are still not good. However, in action, the Community already has appropriate mitigation and adaptation activities in handling disasters due to climate change in coastal areas. The implication of the research is expected to provide information related to community climate literacy to meet the “Climate Action” sustainable development goals (SDGs) in physics learning.

Does the climate change communication power behave consistently before and after the “dual carbon” target is put forward? Spatial-temporal differences based on Weibo

Climate change communication power is an important variable to characterize the influence of climate change information. To deeply understand the public's climate change communication power in China under the “dual carbon” context, this study selected Weibo as the source for obtaining climate change texts and analyzed the spatial-temporal differences of climate change communication power by using a web crawler and a communication power model. Through the comparative analysis of the two periods before and after the “dual carbon” goal was put forward, it is found that: (1) After the “dual carbon” goal was put forward, the public's discussion on climate change was more widely distributed, which formed a concerned circle of climate change in coastal areas, but the extensive discussion on climate change did not mean the enhancement of climate change communication. (2) Celebrities play an important role in the communication of climate change, but users with strong communication power for climate change do not mean that the amount of forwarding must be high. (3) The communication power of climate change is generally in a state of fluctuation, and economically developed areas have stronger communication power. (4) Keywords such as “carbon footprint” and “green technology” are the most powerful in the situation after the “dual carbon” goal was put forward. Based on the comparative analysis, the study grasps the role orientation and division of labor as a whole, which will provide a basis for formulating regional climate change-related policies more pertinently. The introduction of z-index into the study of climate change transmission in Weibo is an innovation in the application scenario of z-index.

Numerical modeling of return period waves based on non-linear Boussinesq wave models to support tidal flood studies in the Kedungsepur area

A number of rapid developments and negative effects of climate change in coastal areas have forced its equilibrium system. As a result, tidal floods, high waves, and storms occur more frequently. The goal of this research is to examine nearshore hydrodynamic conditions by using results from the hindcasting procedure. A non-linear Boussinesq (BW) and Spectral Wave (SW) models are used in this study. The models use the manning coefficient, bathymetry data (BATNAS), significant wave height, and wave period calculated by using the hindcasting method. This research commenced by processing wind data from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) from the years 2009 to 2021 with an interval of 3 hours. Then, wave height for return periods 1-, 50- and 100-years are calculated using Gumbel and Fisher-Tippett type I distribution, respectively. The aforementioned approach produced wave heights of 4.23; 6.16; and 6.49 m for return periods 1, 50, and 100 years, respectively. By using this series of wave data, the models predicted that 1.2 m waves propagate close to the nearshore regions.

Dramatic loss of seagrass Zostera marina L. suitable habitat under projected climate change in coastal areas of the Bohai Sea and Shandong peninsula, China

Seagrass is an important foundational species in marine ecosystems that plays an important role in providing ecosystem services. However, seagrass distribution and suitable habitat have rapidly declined in recent decades because of climate change and human-mediated disturbances. To achieved better conservation and management of the seagrass Zostera marina, an important representative seagrass in northern China, studies must investigate how this species responds to climate change. Here, we used an ensemble species distribution model to forecast the potential distribution and future suitable habitat change for the eelgrass Z. marina in coastal areas of the Bohai Sea and Shandong Peninsula, China. Two future climate scenarios, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, were considered, which represent stable and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, respectively. The ensemble model accurately predicted the current Z. marina distribution and performed better than the single-algorithm methods of random forest, generalized boosting model and maximum entropy according to performance matrices (AUC and TSS). The distance to land (78.50 ± 3.51%) and the maximum sea surface temperature (11.90 ± 0.25%) were the most important variables determining the distribution of Z. marina, while the contributions of other variables, maximum sea surface current velocity (3.80 ± 0.33%), minimum surface salinity (2.15 ± 0.22%) and water depth (1.74 ± 0.24%) were relatively low. Under future climate scenarios, the suitable habitat of Z. marina was predicted to decrease by more than half by the 2050s, whereas under the pessimistic greenhouse gas emission scenario (RCP 8.5), suitable Z. marina habitat was predicted to decrease by nearly 80% by the end of this century. The loss of Z. marina seagrass beds will have important ecological effects on the marine ecosystem. Our results not only provide valuable information to assist in identifying potential Z. marina meadows, but also have important implications for guiding conservation and management of Z. marina in the northern coastal region of China.

A modified NARX approach for evaluating the time history effect of climate change on load combination in designing façade structures

In recent years, researchers, designers, and project owners have deemed the dry facade system to be a suitable option. Consequently, much research has been conducted on the structural behavior of the dry facade system when subjected to seismic loads, climate change, thermal loads, etc. Of particular concern is the destructive phenomenon of corrosion due to climate change in coastal areas which can damage the infrastructure of the dry façade. To address this issue, a modified NARX method was employed in this study to predict climate change variables for use in dry facade analysis. The author of this paper developed a flowchart and subroutines in MATLAB as a new toolbox for this purpose. Temperature was identified as the most influential parameter in consequent configurations and was thus considered in load combination for the design of a dry facade structure. The statistical results obtained from NARX showed good agreement with measured data; specifically, there was a low mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.345 °C, a low root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.442 °C, and a high coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.998 (P-value = 0.918 > 0.05). Finally, this study proposed a modified formula for load combination to ensure durability and constructability of dry facades in coastal cities.

Sediment resuspension enhances nutrient exchange in intertidal mudflats

Intertidal coastal sediments are important centers for nutrient transformation, regeneration, and storage. Sediment resuspension, due to wave action or tidal currents, can induce nutrient release to the water column and fuel primary production. Storms and extreme weather events are expected to increase due to climate change in coastal areas, but little is known about their effect on nutrient release from coastal sediments. We have conducted in-situ sediment resuspension experiments, in which erosion was simulated by a stepwise increase in current velocities, while measuring nutrient uptake or release in field flumes positioned on intertidal areas of a tidal bay (Eastern Scheldt) and an estuary (Western Scheldt). In both systems, the water column concentration of ammonium (NH4+) and nitrite (NO2−) increased predictably with greater erosion as estimated from pore water dilution and erosion depth. In contrast, the phosphate (PO43−) dynamics were different between systems, and those of nitrate (NO3−) were small and variable. Notably, sediment resuspension caused a decrease in the overlying water PO43− concentration in the tidal bay, while an increase was observed in the estuarine sediments. Our observations showed that the concentration of PO43− in the water column was more intensely affected by resuspension than that of NH4+ and NO2−. The present study highlights the differential effect of sediment resuspension on nutrient exchange in two contrasting tidal coastal environments.

Survey on Low-Cost Underwater Sensor Networks: From Niche Applications to Everyday Use

Traditionally, underwater acoustic modems and positioning systems were developed for military and Oil & Gas industries, that require deep water deployments and extremely reliable systems, focusing on high power expensive systems and leaving the use of low-cost devices only attractive for academic studies. Conversely, recent developments of low-cost unmanned vehicles, such as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), suitable for shallow water coastal missions, and the need of sensors network deployments for measuring water quality and studying the effect of climate change in coastal areas, called to the need of low-cost and low-power acoustic modems and positioning systems that are gaining more and more momentum to date. The use of these devices can enable a wide set of applications, often based on low-cost AUV swarm formations, where an acoustic link between the vehicles is required to coordinate the mission, perform the maneuvers, and maintain the formation along the time. Moreover, they can make environmental wireless sensor deployment cost effective by substituting wired systems. Underwater positioning systems, usually used in large-scale operations, can be finally applied to small-scale application thanks to the reduction in costs, at the price of a lower transmission and positioning range and precision. While in open-sea application this performance reduction is a huge limitation, in river, lagoon, port and lake deployments this is not an issue, given that the extremely shallow water and the presence of many obstacles would deteriorate the acoustic signal anyway, not allowing long range transmissions even with expensive and sophisticated acoustic devices. In this paper, we review the recent developments of low-cost and low-power acoustic communication and positioning systems, both analyzing University prototypes and new commercial devices available in the market, identifying advantages and limitations of these devices, and we describe potential new applications that can be enabled by these systems.

Climate Change: Riau Archipelago Pre-service Teachers’ Perspective

Climate change (CC) has affected many aspects of life, including social, environmental, political, and economic. As educators in the future, pre-service teachers need to be equipped with the understanding and motivation to be involved in efforts to overcome problems related to facing CC challenges and opportunities. Riau Archipelago is a province in Indonesia that is a coastal area that directly experiences the impacts of CC. This research investigates pre-service teachers’ perspectives on CC in coastal areas. The study employed the descriptive survey method using a 5-Likert scale instrument to involve pre-service teachers in the Riau Archipelago. Respondents (n=224) were selected from the undergraduate student population. The research results show that pre-service teachers’ perspectives in coastal areas, it is important to know and implement various solutions to CC. However, pre-service teachers have low motivation to overcome CC. However, the low motivation of student teachers needs to be improved because pre-service teachers are part of society and have an important role in understanding students so they can apply and face climate change problems. It is hoped that future research can provide a clearer picture of how efforts can be made to increase pre-service teachers’ motivation to participate in overcoming problems in CC in coastal areas.

Retraction Note: Salinity and Miscarriage: Is There a Link? Impact of Climate Change in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh - A Systematic Review

Original Article: Hossain S. Salinity and Miscarriage: Is There a Link? Impact of Climate Change in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh - A Systematic Review. EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT. 2020;4(1):em0036. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/6291<br /> This document states that the Original Article is retracted.

THE NIGERIAN PERSPECTIVE OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: A CASE STUDY OF COASTAL AREAS OF LAGOS

In recent times, climate change and its attendant impacts have become an interesting subject for many a debate, yet little seems to be understood about it on the local scale more so among the rural populace. The study aimed at evaluating the perception and vulnerability of Ibeju-Lekki and Eti Osa Local government areas to climate change; to introduce effective climate change awareness, mitigation, and adaptation techniques. The study was carried out through field surveys, questionnaire administration, Personal interviews, and Focus Group Discussions (FGD). The data collected were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The study showed that on average, the sampled coastal communities recorded climatic changes in their environment, but they have not been able to account for the factors that initiated these changes. The human dimension to climate change is missing in their perception. This relates to how their activities contribute to climate change. The coastal area is highly susceptible to coastal activities that have been exacerbated by climate change. Therefore, given their perception and high vulnerability, there is an urgent need for climate change awareness in the study area to prepare the communities through enlightenment campaigns and to build their adaptive capacity. This study, therefore, recommends that government should intensify its climate change awareness drive until all and sundry are sufficiently sensitized to contribute meaningfully in mitigation and adaptation measures. In tackling the challenge of climate change in coastal areas of Lagos State, emphasis should be given better preparedness, adaptation strategies that are low-tech particularly those that are targeted at the most vulnerable members of the society and communication/awareness techniques.