Greenhouse effect, sea level rise, and barrier Islands: Case study of long beach Island, New Jersey

Abstract

-Increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other gases are expected to cause a global warming that could raise sea level a few feet in the next century. This paper examines four options by which barrier-island communities could respond, focussing on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. For the next few decades, the most common response will probably be to raise the islands in place by pumping sand onto beaches and building lots. Eventually, as costs increase, many communities may accept a gradual landward retreat. Nevertheless, federal agencies that encourage risky development, state agencies that discourage it, residents who feel entitled to subsidized coastal protection, and environmentalists insensitive to constitutional property rights will all have to compromise for a rational solution to be possible. Local officials on barrier islands should begin to hold public meetings to develop a public consensus on the appropriate response to sea level rise.

Beaches and dunes of human-altered coasts

“…A simulation of the impact of future climatic change in the Coto Donana National Park in Spain indicates an extension of the dry season, a decrease in summer soil moisture and an increase in potential evaporation in the winter that are expected to lead to an increase in sand drifts; climate in Slowinski National Park in Poland may change from a subcontinental climate to a more Atlantic-type climate, accompanied by an increase in winter temperatures, a decrease in occurrence of frost and an increase in rainfall, resulting in extension of the vegetation cover over barren parts of the dunes that are expected to lead to a decrease in wind erosion (van Huis, 1989;van der Meulen, 1990). Although the effects introduced by climatic change and future sea-level rise may cause coastal habitats to be reduced or eliminated (Carter, 1992) or result in abandonment of coastal settlements and a return to more natural coastal characteristics (Corre, 1989), these effects may be obscured in developed areas by human efforts to protect property and maintain a stable or predictable resource base (Titus, 1990, Nordstrom, 1994. ' at WEST VIRGINA UNIV on June 27, 2015 ppg.sagepub.com Downloaded from VII l Models of evolution of developed coasts Human-altered landforms and natural landforms respond to energy inputs according to the same physical laws, but differences occur between the two landform types in terms of the mechanisms of change, freedom of movement, locations of sources and sinks for sediment, internal structure, outward appearance and spatial and temporal scales of evolution (Nordstrom, 1990).…”

Greenhouse effect and sea level rise: The cost of holding back the sea

“…A case study of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, concluded that all three protection options are far less costly than the value of the land that would be threatened. Although levees and retreat are somewhat less expensive than raising islands, the latter option would probably be preferred because (1) constructing levees and seawalls would result in the loss of beaches and waterfront views; and (2) retreat would not be feasible for islands with high-rises and would only be marginally less expensive for moderately developed islands, while requiring major changes in how people view ownership of coastal property (Titus, 1990).…”

“…Responses to sea level rise for developed barrier islands. Source: Titus (1990) Responses to erosion are more likely to have adverse environmental impacts along sheltered water than on the open coast. Because the beach generally is a barrier island's most important asset, economics would encourage ocean beach communities to preserve their natural shorelines; and preventing the island from breaking up would also protect the adjacent wetlands.…”

Rainfall and temperature trends in India

“…The objective of this study is to empirically determine whether rainfall has decreased and temperature has increased in the Ganga basin, and in India as a whole, and to qualitatively interpret these changes in terms of variations in the forest cover and population. However, no attempt is made to determine whether the detected changes are due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Titus, 1990).…”