Coastal submergence refers to the relative drowning of coastal landforms caused by a rise in local or eustatic sea level or by subsidence of the land surface, leading to landward translation of the shoreline and modification of coastal morphodynamics. It encompasses processes such as thermal expansion of seawater, ice mass loss, tectonic or compaction-driven subsidence, and anthropogenic extraction of groundwater or hydrocarbons. Coastal submergence alters sediment budgets, increases frequency and extent of tidal inundation and storm-driven flooding, promotes erosion of beaches and cliffs, transforms coastal wetlands and estuaries, and is a key factor in coastal vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning under contemporary climate change scenarios.
Small island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Maldives and Marshall Islands are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Rising seas, stronger storms, freshwater shortages and damaged infrastructure all threaten their ...
Environment
Aug 28, 2025
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In the dead of night on a beach in Suriname's capital Paramaribo, a group of just-hatched baby sea turtles clamber out of their sandy nesting hole and race, flippers flailing, toward the sea.
Environment
Jul 1, 2025
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Parts of New Orleans and its surrounding wetlands are gradually sinking, and while most of the city remains stable, a new study from Tulane University researchers suggests that sections of the region's $15 billion post-Katrina ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 27, 2025
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Lenore Tedesco doesn't need to venture far to witness sea-level rise. She tracks its relentless advance from her window at work.
Earth Sciences
Jun 4, 2025
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Researchers from the Institute for Environmental Sciences (IVM) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have unveiled DYNAMO-M, a global agent-based model that projects how farmers across the world's coasts may respond to the growing ...
Earth Sciences
May 2, 2025
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Once floodwaters subside, talk of planned retreat inevitably rises.
Environment
Apr 13, 2025
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Rising sea levels, stronger storms and increased erosion are making life on the coast riskier and more unpredictable. For potential buyers or renters, particularly in the wake of another winter of storms and flooding, questions ...
Environment
Apr 7, 2025
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An international team of geoscientists, marine geologists, climatologists, and environmental specialists has found that lingering El Niño events have increased in frequency over the past 7,000 years. In their study published ...
When waves come crashing over the sea wall in Chile's biggest port of San Antonio, dockers run for cover.
Environment
Mar 26, 2025
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