Title: Climate Impacts on Coastal Areas | Climate Change Impacts | US EPA
Headings: Climate Impacts on Coastal Areas
Climate Change Impacts
Climate Impacts on Coastal Areas
On This Page:
Overview
Key Points
Sea Level Rise
Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer
Impacts of Changes in Storm Surge and Precipitation
Impacts of Coastal Water Temperature
Climate Ready Estuaries Program
Impacts to Coral Reefs and Shellfish
References

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Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has developed a tool to visualize the potential impacts of sea level rise on coastal communities in the United States. NOAA's sea level rise and coastal flooding impacts viewer. Source: NOAA (2012)
Mostly because of these differences in land motion, estimates of future relative sea level rise vary for different regions. Climate change models project that global sea level rise will accelerate in the 21st century. Models based on thermal expansion and ice melt estimate that global sea level is very likely to rise between 1 and 3 feet by the end of the century. Typically, these models do not, however, incorporate all of the possible responses of ice sheets to warmer temperatures, which could further raise sea level, but is unlikely to add more than one foot. [ 2] [4] [5]
For more information on recent and future sea level rise, please visit the Science section. Growing populations and development along the coasts increase the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems to sea level rise. Development can block the inland migration of wetlands in response of sea level rise, and change the amount of sediment delivered to coastal areas and accelerate erosion.