question: Why do models that predict rising sea levels affect the east coast of places more than the west coast?
comment: Sea level rise will cause more damage on coastlines with very flat land that slopes gradually to the sea: there, rising water will cover more area. In the US, the East Coast has lots of flat land, while the west coast is mostly steep shorelines except in places like San Francisco Bay. South America is also steep on the west coast, flat on the east. In other parts of the world, it doesn't work that way. In Africa, the flattest shorelines are near the Nile and Congo river mouths on the north and west sides respectively. In Europe, the North Sea coast is at greater risk then the southern Mediterranean shore.... there's no general pattern.
passages: Since rising sea levels present a pressing problem not only to coastal communities but to the whole global population as well, much scientific research has been performed to analyze the causes and consequences of a rise in sea level. The U.S. Geological Survey has conducted such research, addressing coastal vulnerability to sea level rise and incorporating six physical variables to analyze the changes in sea level: geomorphology; coastal slope (percent); rate of relative sea level rise (mm/yr); shoreline erosion and acceleration rates (m/yr); mean tidal range (m); and mean wave height (m). The research was conducted on the various coasts of the U.S., and the results are very useful for future reference. Along the Pacific coast, the most vulnerable areas are low-lying beaches, and “their susceptibility is primarily a function of geomorphology and coastal slope.” With regard to research performed along the Atlantic coast, the most vulnerable areas to sea level rise were found to be along the Mid-Atlantic coast (Maryland to North Carolina) and Northern Florida, since these are “typically high-energy coastlines where the regional coastal slope is low and where the major landform type is a barrier island.” For the Gulf coast, the most vulnerable areas are along the Louisiana-Texas coast. According to the results, “the highest-vulnerability areas are typically lower-lying beach and marsh areas; their susceptibility is primarily a function of geomorphology, coastal slope and rate of relative sea-level rise.”
   Coastal regions would be most affected by rising sea levels. The increase in sea level along the coasts of continents, especially North America are much more significant than the global average. According to 2007 estimates by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “global average sea level will rise between 0.6 and 2 feet (0.18 to 0.59 meters) in the next century. Along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, however, sea level rose in the last century 5 to 6 inches more than the global average. This is due to the subsiding of coastal lands. The sea level along the U.S. Pacific coast has also increased more than the global average but less than along the Atlantic coast. This can be explained by the varying continental margins along both coasts; the Atlantic type continental margin is characterized by a wide, gently sloping continental shelf, while the Pacific type continental margin incorporates a narrow shelf and slope descending into a deep trench. Since low-sloping coastal regions should retreat faster than higher-sloping regions, the Atlantic coast is more vulnerable to sea level rise than the Pacific coast.
   The Atlantic is set to warm at a faster pace than the Pacific. This has consequences for Europe and the U.S. East Coast, which received a sea level rise 3–4 times the global average. The downturn of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) has been also tied to extreme regional sea level rise on the US Northeast Coast.
  
  Section::::Effects.
   Rising seas has also been tied to an increased risk from tsunamis, potentially affecting coastal cities in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
   Superimposed on the global rise in sea level, is strong regional and decadal variability which may cause sea level along a particular coastline to decline with time (for example along the Canadian eastern seaboard), or to rise faster than the global average. Regions that have shown a rapid rise in sea level during the past two decades include the western tropical Pacific and the United States northeastern seaboard. These regional variations in sea level are the result of many factors, such as local sedimentation rates, geomorphology, post-glacial rebound, and coastal erosion. Large storm events, such as Hurricane Sandy in the eastern Atlantic, can dramatically alter coastlines and affect sea level rise as well.
   In 2016 research from the Center was used to identify the coastal regions of the United States that were most at risk from sea-level rise due to climate change. This study was one of the first studies to have accounted for ongoing population growth when assessing the potential magnitude of future impacts. Minimally 4.2 million people at risk of inundation were projected to be at risk from sea-level rise in the continental United States.
   BULLET::::- The fact that saltwater intrusions are often not in equilibrium makes it harder to model. Aquifer dynamics tend to be slow and it takes the intrusion cone a long time to adapt to changes in pumping schemes, rainfall, etc. So the situation in the field can be significantly different from what would be expected based on the sea level, pumping scheme etc.
  
  BULLET::::- For long-term models, the future climate change forms a large unknown. Model results often depend strongly on sea level and recharge rate. Both are expected to change in the future.
  
  Section::::Mitigation.
   A study published in 2016 found further evidence for a considerable impact from sea level rise for the U.S. East Coast. The study confirms earlier research findings which identified the region as a hotspot for rising seas, with a potential to divert 3–4 times in the rate of rise, compared to the global average. The researchers attribute the possible increase to an ocean circulation mechanism called deep water formation, which is reduced due to AMOC slow down, leading to more warmer water pockets below the surface. Additionally, the study noted, "Our results suggest that higher carbon emission rates also contribute to increased [sea level rise] in this region compared to the global average."
   On the heavily developed East Coast of USA, a strong correlation exists between human development, determined by satellite imagery, and reduced rates of erosion, even when studied at regional scales. A combination of the relative permanence of urban infrastructure and coastal defense efforts made to protect such infrastructure is likely the cause of such a relationship. Even after destructive storm events, evidence suggest that US East and Gulf Coast communities tend to rebuild homes and structures that are larger than before the event.
   The predicted climate change is adding an extra risk factor to human settlement in coastal areas. Whereas the natural dynamics that shape our coastlines have been relatively stable and predictable over the last centuries, much more rapid change is now expected in processes as sea level rise, ocean temperature and acidity, tropical storm intensity and precipitation/runoff patterns. The world's coastlines will respond to these changes in different ways and at different pace depending on their bio-geophysical characteristics, but generally society will have to recognize that past coastal trends cannot be directly projected into the future. Instead, it is necessary to consider how different coastal environments will respond to the predicted climate change and take the expected future hazards into account in the coastal planning processes.
   Some regional differences are also visible in the tide gauge data. Some of the recorded regional differences are due to differences in the actual sea level, while other are due to vertical land movements. In Europe for instance, considerable variation is found because some land areas are rising while others are sinking. Since 1970, most tidal stations have measured higher seas, but sea levels have dropped along the northern Baltic Sea due to post-glacial rebound.
  
  Section::::Contributions.
   According to the Stern Review, warming of will lead to serious risks and increasing pressures for coastal protection in New York State.
  
  Sea level rise has taken place in the U.S. for decades, going back to the 19th century. As stated in research published by the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", west coast sea levels have increased by an average of 2.1 millimeters annually. In English notation, that equates to 0.083 inches per year and 0.83 inches per decade.
  
  Crop and livestock production will be increasingly challenged. Threats to human health will increase.
   Marine Protected Areas: Conserving our Nation's Marine Resources
  
  Section::::Economy Topics.
  
  The Coast - Our Nation's Economic Engine
  
  Recreational Fishing - An American Pastime
  
  Commercial Fishing - A Cultural Tradition
  
  Ports - Crucial Coastal Infrastructure
  
  Section::::Response Topics.
  
  The Overall Health of Our Nation's Coastal Waters
  
  Invasive Species Disrupt Coastal Ecosystems and Economies
  
  Coral Reef Ecosystems - Critical Coastal Habitat
  
  Nutrient Pollution and Hypoxia - Everything is Upstream of the Coast
  
  Section::::Climate Topics.
  
  Vulnerability of Our Nation's Coasts to Sea Level Rise
  
  U.S. Population in the 100-year Coastal Flood Hazard Area
  
  Federally-Insured Assets along the Coast
  
  Section::::External links.
   Determining the exact cause of the annual cycle is difficult as there are several factors that influence the amplitude and timing of the annual cycle along the coast including winds, water temperature and salinity, local bathymetry, coastal geometry, ocean currents, land movements, and river outflows. The largest amplitudes in the annual cycle are generally noted near areas with large river outflow such as along the Bay of Bengal, the Gulf of Bohai, the St. Lawrence River, and the Rio Uruguay.
  
  Section::::Satellite Altimetry Era.
   This rushing to the coast is exhibited in property value. A study by Bourassa et al. (2004) found that in Auckland, New Zealand, wide sea views contributed on average an additional 59% to the value of a waterfront property. This effect diminished rapidly the further the property was from the coast. In another study, it was found that moving 150 m away from the Gulf of Mexico lowered property values by 36%.
   BULLET::::- 1997/1998: Several changes in sea surface temperature and marine ecosystem occurred in the North Pacific after 1997/1998, in contrast to prevailing anomalies observed after the 1970s shift. The SST declined along the United States west coast and substantial changes in the populations of salmon, anchovy and sardine were observed as the PDO changed back to a cool "anchovy" phase. However the spatial pattern of the SST change was different with a meridional SST seesaw in the central and western Pacific that resembled a strong shift in the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation rather than the PDO structure. This pattern dominated much of the North Pacific SST variability after 1989.
   The most vulnerable future worlds to sea-level rise appear to be the A2 and B2 [IPCC] scenarios, which primarily reflects differences in the socio-economic situation (coastal population, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and GDP/capita), rather than the magnitude of sea-level rise. Small islands and deltaic settings stand out as being more vulnerable as shown in many earlier analyses. Collectively, these results suggest that human societies will have more choice in how they respond to sea-level rise than is often assumed. However, this conclusion needs to be tempered by recognition that we still do not understand these choices and significant impacts remain possible.
   Preparing for sea-level rise can be justified in many cases, because the cost of preparing now is small compared to the cost of reacting later. Examples include wetland protection, flood insurance, long-lived infrastructure, and coastal land-use planning. Nevertheless, preparing for sea-level rise has been the exception rather than the rule. Most coastal institutions were based on the implicit assumption that sea level and shorelines are stable. Efforts to plan for sea-level rise can be thwarted by several institutional biases, including government policies that encourage coastal development, flood insurance maps that do not consider sea-level rise, federal policies that prefer shoreline armoring over soft shore protection, and lack of plans delineating which areas would be protected or not as sea level rises.
   BULLET::::- America's coastlines are even more vulnerable to sea level rise than previously thought, according to a pair of new studies. Up to 32% more real estate could be affected by a 1-meter rise in sea level, while the population exposed to rising water is 87% higher than previously estimated. ("Christian Science Monitor")
  
  BULLET::::- A process to "unprint" toner ink from paper has been developed by engineers at the University of Cambridge, using short laser pulses to erase words and images. (BBC)
   The USGCRP team of thirteen federal agencies—the DOA, DOC, DOD, DOE, HHS, DOI, DOS, DOT, EPA, NASA, NSF, Smithsonian Institution, and the USAID—with the assistance of "1,000 people, including 300 leading scientists, roughly half from outside the government" reported that, "As the world warms, the "landfalling atmospheric rivers on the West Coast are likely to increase" in "frequency and severity" because of "increasing evaporation and higher atmospheric water vapor levels in the atmosphere."
   Andrea Dutton takes her research outside of just the scientific community to make it applicable for all. Climate communication has been something that Dutton has emphasized since her teaching experiences at the Saint Anne's School in Brooklyn, New York. She has shared her research to the general public through a variety of media forums such as:
  
  BULLET::::- TEDxUF: Theme: Transparent (2017)
  
  BULLET::::- The New York Times: Gillis, Justin. (2017). The Sea Level Did, in Fact, Rise Faster in the Southeast U.S
  
  BULLET::::- Forecast: Climate Conversations with Michael White
   The atmospheric bridge is more effective during boreal winter when the deepened Aleutian low results in stronger and cold northwesterly winds over the central Pacific and warm/humid southerly winds along the North American west coast, the associated changes in the surface heat fluxes and to a lesser extent Ekman transport creates negative sea surface temperature anomalies and a deepened MLD in the central pacific and warm the ocean from the Hawaii to the Bering Sea.
  
  BULLET::::- SST reemergence
   Section::::Effects.:Coastal areas.
   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released "Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region" (SAP 4.1) on January 16, 2009. According to the report's abstract, rising sea level can inundate low areas and increase flooding, coastal erosion, wetland loss, and saltwater intrusion into estuaries and freshwater aquifers. Much of the United States consists of coastal environments and landforms such as barrier islands and wetlands that will respond to sea-level rise by changing shape, size, or position. The combined effects of sea-level rise and other climate change factors such as storms may cause rapid and irreversible coastal change. Coastal communities and property owners have responded to coastal hazards by erecting shore protection structures, elevating land and buildings, or relocating inland. Accelerated sea-level rise would increase the costs and environmental impacts of these responses.
   Current and future sea level rise is set to have a number of impacts, particularly on coastal systems. Such impacts include increased coastal erosion, higher storm-surge flooding, inhibition of primary production processes, more extensive coastal inundation, changes in surface water quality and groundwater characteristics, increased loss of property and coastal habitats, increased flood risk and potential loss of life, loss of non-monetary cultural resources and values, impacts on agriculture and aquaculture through decline in soil and water quality, and loss of tourism, recreation, and transportation functions. Many of these impacts are detrimental. Owing to the great diversity of coastal environments; regional and local differences in projected relative sea level and climate changes; and differences in the resilience and adaptive capacity of ecosystems, sectors, and countries, the impacts will be highly variable in time and space. River deltas in Africa and Asia and small island states are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise.
  
raw_presuppositions: Models predict that rising sea levels will affect the east coast of all continents more than the west coast.
raw_corrections: Models predict that rising sea levels will affect the east coast of the Americas more than the west coast.