Sea Level Changes and the Texas Coastal Environment Introduction to lesson used with

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Sea Level Changes and the Texas Coastal
EnvironmentIntroduction to lesson used with A
Virtual Tour of Texas Gulf Coast Barrier Islands
3D model
Developed by a partnership between Bureau of
Economic Geology The University of Texas at
Austin Harte Research Institute for Gulf of
Mexico Studies Texas AM University Corpus
Christi And Texas State Energy Conservation
Office
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Mississippi
Alabama
Louisiana
Texas
Florida
Gulf of Mexico
Cuba
Mexico
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Mississippi River Delta
Shoreline Length Gulf 600 km Shoreline between
Sabine Pass Louisiana/TX border and the Rio
Grande - TX/Mexico border Bays 9,400
km Shoreline surrounding all of the bays on TX
coast (Galveston, Laguna Madre, etc.)
Sabine Pass
Galveston Bay
Gulf of Mexico
Texas
Rio Grande
Laguna Madre
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Increasing Carbon Dioxide
Source Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC)
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Sources of Carbon Dioxide
Electric Power Generation 40 of CO2
emissions Transportation 32 of CO2 emissions

• You release CO2 into the atmosphere every time
  you
• Watch TV
• Use the Air Conditioner
• Turn on a Light
• Use a Hair Dryer
• Ride in a Car
• Use a Computer
• Listen to a Stereo
• Wash or Dry Clothes
• Use a Dish Washer
• Microwave a Meal

Source Energy Information Administration
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Source Koshland Science Museum http//www.koshlan
d-science-museum.org/exhibitgcc/greenhouse01.jsp
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Increased Greenhouse Gases possible Impact on
Global Sea Level

• Increased greenhouse gasses in the Earths
  atmosphere my result in more infrared energy
  (heat) being trapped
• This may cause the Earths surface and atmosphere
  to become warmer
• A warmer Earth could mean an increase in glacial
  melting and warmer ocean temperatures
• As water becomes warmer, it expands taking up
  more space. This phenomenon is called thermal
  expansion
• Thermal expansion of ocean water increase of
  water in the oceans due to glacial melting
  rising sea level.

Local sea level change is also effected by
changes in land elevation through faulting,
subsidence, and shoreline erosion.
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Relative Sea Level Rise
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Global Sea Level Rise
From IPCC 4th assessment report Artale et al.,
2007
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Present Sea Level
Corpus Christi Bay
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1-m Sea Level Rise
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2-m Sea Level Rise
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3-m Sea Level Rise
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4-m Sea Level Rise
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5-m Sea Level Rise
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Areas Vulnerable to Sea-level Rise on the Texas
Coast
Source Environmental Protection Agency
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Global Impact of Sea-Level Rise

• Sea-Level Rise (m) Population Affected
  (millions)
• 1 107.94
• 2 175.10
• 3 233.99
• 4 308.08
• 5 376.26

From Rowley, Kostelnick, Braaten, Li, and Meisel,
2007, EOS
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Barrier Island Cross Section
Today
Future Beach/Dune
After 60 Years of Sea-Level Rise and Erosion
Protective Ridge
Wetland
Island Core
Beach/ Dune
Upland
Wetland
Upland
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Mustang IslandInundationby Year 2100
0m
0.46m
0.87m
Based on IPCC (2007) sea-level rise projections
plus local land subsidence estimate
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Sea Level Changes and the Texas Coastal
Environment Lesson

• Read the information provided to you by your
  teacher.
• View the video for a demonstration of navigating
  through the model.
• Explore the model on your own to familiarize
  yourself with navigating and using the data in
  the model. Also use this time to familiarize
  yourself with the geography of the Gulf of Mexico
  and the Texas Coast.
• Answer the questions in the lesson.

http//coastal.beg.utexas.edu/thscmp/index.html