Friday, December 1, 11:00 am, In-person & Zoom.
UT Marine Science Institute, Patton Center, Auditorium.
"Response of the Texas Coast to Accelarated Sea-Level Rise and Climate Change: Lessons Learned From the Holocene"
John B. Anderson, Ph.D.
Maurice Ewing Professor of Oceanography, Emeritus, Rice University.
Seminar summary: Geological studies conducted over the past three decades have focused on how the Texas coast responded to changes in the rate of sea-level rise and climate change during the Holocene (11,650 BP to Present). The coast experienced rapid change during the early Holocene, when the average rate of sea-level rise was 4.2 mm/yr, with punctuated events when the rate was between 10.0 and 20.0 mm/yr. During this time, the shoreline stepped landward at rates that occasionally exceeded 10 m/yr. Estuaries experienced rapid flooding events when their bayhead deltas shifted landward tens of kilometers within a few centuries. During this same time period, the Brazos, Colorado and Rio Grande rivers constructed large offshore deltas as more humid conditions led to greater sediment delivery from these rivers. By late Holocene time (~4.0 ka to Present), the average rate of sea-level rise decreased to 0.5 mm/yr and climate change assumed the dominant role in coastal evolution. More arid conditions led to the demise of offshore deltas and coastal barriers experienced episodes of progradation and transgression that were caused by variations in sand supply, mainly from offshore sources. Estuaries also continued to experience significant changes that were driven by variations in precipitation. Historical records indicate a dramatic reversal in coastal evolution marked by increased landward shoreline migration of coastal barriers. The main cause of this change was accelerated sea-level rise during this century and diminished sediment supply to the coast. Wetlands are also experiencing rapid change due to their inability to keep pace with sea-level rise, especially in areas where subsidence rates are high and/or in areas exposed to wind erosion. Although direct human influence is a factor in these changes, these impacts are more localized. Coastal change is expected to increase over the next several decades as the rate of sea-level rise increases, the climate in Texas becomes more arid, and more severe storms impact the coast.
Host: Dr. Mark Lever.
Thursday, November 30, 5:00 pm, In-person & Zoom.
UT Marine Science Institute, Patton Center, Auditorium.
Public Lecture.
"Response of Texas Coast to Climate Change and Accelerated Sea-Level Rise: The Coast Our Children Will Inherit"
John B. Anderson, Ph.D.
Maurice Ewing Professor of Oceanography, Emeritus, Rice University.
Seminar summary: Climate change has rapidly forced the Earth into conditions that have not existed in historical time, leaving us without analogs for current and future conditions on the planet. The Texas Coast will be significantly impacted by climate change due to its relatively high rate of sea-level rise and arid climate. Research conducted over the past three decades has provided a view of how the Texas Coast responded to past changes in the rate of sea-level rise, alterations in precipitation and hurricanes. These natural changes are now being outpaced by human-induced Climate Change that will result in a drastically different coast by the year 2050.
Seminar tabs are listed in the order of upcoming dates, followed by past seminars (most recent first).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Generic License.