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Sea Level Rise
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Institutional affiliation
Course
Date
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Sea level Rise
Author's Background
Brett Buzzanga, David P. S. Bekaert, and Benjamin D. Hamlington are from Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, focusing on geoscience and remote
sensing with expertise in interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) for measurement of
land subsidence and ground deformation. Robert E. Kopp and Kenneth G. Miller are professors
from Rutgers University who study sea-level rise, climate change effects, sediments, and strata.
Marin Govorcin, also with JPL, uses remote sensing to investigate ground deformation and
environmental variations. Both automate data analysis and enhance field research and modelling
to understand better sea-level rise within the New York City metropolitan area.
The authors of the article “Rapid plant trait evolution can alter coastal wetland resilience
to sea level rise" are a diverse group of people from the most well-known institutions, and every
one of them brings specific knowledge and experience. M. L. Vahsen spearheaded the project
from the University of Notre Dame with responsibilities of conceptualization and writing. M. J.
Blum of the University of Tennessee assisted with conceptualization and methodology. J. P.
Megonigal from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center was responsible for the project
management and coordination. S. J. Emrich from the University of Tennessee helped in the
formal analysis and created the visualization. Smithsonian's J. R. Holmquist also contributed to
software and validation. B. Stiller from Notre Dame was also involved in data acquisition and
analysis. K. E. O. Todd-Brown from the University of Florida significantly contributed to the
methodology and software. J. S. McLachlan from Notre Dame was involved in the
administrative supervision and contributed to the writing and formal analysis.
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Sadaf Mahmoudi and Hamed Moftakhari of the article “Establishing flood thresholds for
sea level rise impact communication” are from the Center for Complex Hydrosystems Research
and the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, The University of
Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA. David F. Muñoz is in the Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg,
Virginia, USA. William Sweet works for NOAA/National Ocean Service in Silver Spring, MD,
USA. The last member of the team is Hamid Moradkhani, who is associated with the Center for
Complex Hydrosystems Research and the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental
Engineering at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA.
Summary of the Articles
The research by Buzzanga et al. (2023) employs interferometric synthetic aperture radar
and global navigation satellite system time series to estimate VLM accurately in the New York
City region. This study finds that subsidence is highly prevalent, with a subsidence rate of 1. 6
mm/year, mainly because of the post-glacial rebound that the melting of ice sheets has caused.
Further, it highlights particular areas of subsidence and uplift, elucidating the physical causes of
these phenomena. These findings offer some profound implications for the study of flood
hazards because VLM is a key factor contributing to the rise of regional relative sea levels. The
data and methodologies used are not only available for further scientific exploration or
engineering assessments but are open to the public domain.
The article “Rapid Plant Trait Evolution Can Alter Coastal Wetland Resilience to Sea
Level Rise” by Vahsen et al. (2023) focuses on the impact of plant trait evolution on coastal
wetlands' ability to adapt to sea-level rise. The study centers on the dominant sedge
Schoenoplectus americanus and uses a common garden approach based on genotypes originating
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from time-structured seed banks. The researchers show that genetic variation and evolution,
particularly in below-ground traits, which include root distribution depth and root shoot ratios,
have significant impacts on the properties of the ecosystem involved, with examples being the
accumulation of carbon and the buildup of the soil surface. These evolutionary processes are
extremely important in predicting ecosystem functioning under global change conditions. This
study highlights the need to consider evolutionary processes in the ecosystem models to improve
the wetlands' resilience and prediction of carbon-storing capacities.
The article “Establishing flood thresholds for sea level rise impact communication"
focuses on the effects of Sea level rise (SLR) on the characteristics of coastal flood and the
difficulty it creates for flood risk assessment. The authors suggest a high tide flood (HTF)
thresholding system based on machine learning (ML) theory to assess the SLR and HTF
thresholds of specific coastal zones of the United States. Such a system, calibrated and verified
with NOAA gauge information, performs well and can map these values to ungauged coastal
regions. This study underscores the significance of tracking HTF effects in order to ascertain and
observe its overall influence on coastal areas, structures, and economic development. The
findings emphasise the urgency of developing site-specific adaptation measures and adequately
informing the public about the implications of SLR.
Critique
The article "Localized uplift, widespread subsidence, and implications for sea level rise
in the New York City metropolitan area” has several obvious advantages. It uses an integrated
approach by implementing high-resolution interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and
continuous global navigation satellite system (GNSS) time series. This makes it possible to
measure the vertical motion of the land with accuracy, enabling researchers to determine the
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degree of subsidence and uplift prevailing in the region. The second strength pertains to the
applicability of the study in addressing flood risks. By identifying certain zones of subsidence
and uplift, the study provides important information for evaluating the flood hazards and urban
development in New York City, which is one of the densely populated and economically
important regions.
In addition, the generalisability of the research findings is significant to other coastal
cities globally. This shows that in global sea level models, local geological factors have to be
taken into consideration for better modeling and proper management plans (Buzzanga et al.,
2023). However, the article also has some drawbacks that need to be mentioned. One of the
moving factors can be regarded as its lack of geographic scope. The findings of the study would
be useful for New York City, but the results might not be readily transferable to any other region
without such a micro-level study. Also, the use of sophisticated technical tools and methods, as
well as elaborate data, may be a problem for ordinary people. This could potentially diminish the
utility of the findings for the general public since they will struggle to understand the academic
language employed in the study.
The article Vahsen et al. (2023) offers a rather strong and coherent article that
underscores a factor that many people may not consider seriously: rapid plant attribute change
and ecosystem stability. A time-serial garden design with time-stratified seed banks is simple,
straightforward, and empirical in its approach, and offers a cogent means to study heritable
variation effects on ecosystem processes. The authors convincingly stress the applicability of the
evolution processes in the context of ecosystem modeling, thus making a valuable contribution.
However, there are some constraints. The study is confined to one species, Schoenoplectus
americanus, and this makes the results of the study difficult to apply to other coastal wetland
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species. Furthermore, although the study reveals the below-ground trait patterns, the role of these
traits and their relationships with other factors such as nutrient and climate change could be
discussed in further detail.
The article by Mahmoudi et al. (2024) is quite strong in that it outlines a multifaceted
approach to managing SLR and HTF through a series of forms of advanced ML techniques.
Installing gauge data from NOAA for learning the networks reveals its validity. The mentioned
resolution of 10 km makes the use of the system effective in numerous coastal zones irrespective
of the availability of direct gauge records. Nevertheless, the article could elaborate more on the
restriction of the specific ML algorithms applied to it, for instance, on possible bias and quality
of input data. Further, while the research brings important findings to the table, the
generalizability of such a system for all coastal communities may prove operational and fiscal
issues that may not have been thoroughly discussed.
Questions
Article 1: Localized uplift, widespread subsidence, and implications for sea level rise in the
New York City metropolitan area
How does the topic of the article affect the Earth as a whole?
The topic of this article is essential in comprehending global sea level changes and the
associated dangers. Concerning global climate change, long-term sea-level changes associated
with VLM, such as subsidence and uplift, can either amplify or dampen the effects of relative
global sea level change (Buzzanga et al., 2023). This study contributes to improving the
understanding of VLM in analysing flood risks of major metropolitan areas such as New York
City and the local geological factors that are vital to concerns about climate resilience. Since
similar problems exist in coastal cities of different countries, such methods and results can be
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used in various countries to improve the efficiency of models and approaches to counteracting
the negative impact of rising sea levels.
How does this article relate to my life?
The conclusions drawn from this article will benefit anyone dwelling in or around coastal
regions, especially in massive cities. Regarding New Yorkers, it is crucial to know where
subsidence and uplift have occurred to better assess their exposure to flooding and other effects
of increasing sea levels. The study affirms the importance of adequate infrastructure
development and disaster risk management to prevent losses of lives and property. At the
individual level, it educates people on the impact of climate change and why one must put
measures in place to enhance safety when changes occur. Knowledge of these matters is
especially important when considering property investment, insurance, and representation in
local and global environmental initiatives.
Article 2: Rapid plant trait evolution can alter coastal wetland resilience to sea level rise
How does the topic of the article affect the Earth as a whole?
The topic of the article is relevant to the entire Earth because its subject is related to a
study on how coastal wetlands, which play an important role in carbon storage and defense
against the rising sea level, are impacted by the fast-evolving plant traits. Knowledge of such
processes is crucial for modeling and forecasting the stability of such coastal systems, which are
very important in the framework of climate change and conservation of biological diversity.
How does this article relate to my life?
This article is relevant to my life because it underlines the significance of conserving and
reviving coastal wetlands, which have significant contributions to the well-being of the
environment. The study calls for increased conservation policies and practices that are based on
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knowledge in evolutionary processes with far-reaching implications for combating climate
change and conservation of natural ecosystems. The research helps to better understand the
complexity and flexibility of ecosystems that affect the ways of preserving endangered
environments in certain populated areas.
Article 3: Establishing flood thresholds for sea level rise impact communication
How does the topic of the article affect the Earth as a whole?
The topic of the article is important as SLR is an ongoing global concern brought about
by climate change and impacts coastal areas globally. Higher HTF extreme rates are caused by
rising sea levels that continues to cause long-term impacts such as damage of large Structures,
displacement of people, loss of species and genera, and borne costs (Mahmoud et al., 2024).
Therefore, the awareness and dissemination of these effects are crucial for the efforts to combat
climate change both locally and internationally. The proposed thresholding system may be useful
to replicate in other regions whereby there could be methodologies toward building regional
strategies to deal with SLR and its consequential dangers.
How does this article relate to my life?
This article helps me understand how a resident in a coastal region can become more
knowledgeable of the potential SLR and HTF threats in the local area and engage in planning for
adaptation. It underlines the necessity to take strict measures to protect my property and avoid
possible hazards. To my claim of expertise in environmental science or urban planning or any
related, this article presents relevant techniques and lessons on how to tackle SLR concerns. In
sum, it acts as a reminder that our individual processes contribute to local climates, which
justifies the support for policies that address these effects.
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References
Buzzanga, B., Bekaert, D. P., Hamlington, B. D., Kopp, R. E., Govorcin, M., & Miller, K. G.
(2023). Localized uplift, widespread subsidence, and implications for sea level rise in the
New York City metropolitan area.KScience Advances,K9(39), eadi8259.
Mahmoudi, S., Moftakhari, H., Muñoz, D. F., Sweet, W., & Moradkhani, H. (2024). Establishing
flood thresholds for sea level rise impact communication.KNature Communications,K15(1),
4251.
Vahsen, M. L., Blum, M. J., Megonigal, J. P., Emrich, S. J., Holmquist, J. R., Stiller, B., ... &
McLachlan, J. S. (2023). Rapid plant trait evolution can alter coastal wetland resilience to
sea level rise.KScience,K379(6630), 393-398.
