Coastal land expands as construction outpaces sea level rise

Reuters ^ | 25 August 2015 | Alister Doyle

[Lorianne]

The Earth has gained coastal land equivalent to the size of Jamaica in the past 30 years with man-made construction outpacing erosion caused by rising sea levels, mapping data showed on Thursday.

Expansion of ports off China, construction of luxury resorts off Dubai or land reclamation in the Netherlands were among causes of coastal expansion, according to a study by Dutch research group Deltares.

Using satellite data with Google Earth, Deltares said coastal regions had gained a net 13,565 square kilometers (5,237 square miles) of land since 1985, roughly the size of Jamaica or the U.S. state of Connecticut.

Overall, coasts added 33,700 square kms of land and lost 20,135 square kms to water, it said. Loss of land included erosion dotted around coasts from Vietnam to the Mississippi delta in the United States.

[SandRat]

Tell Al Bore he was wrong on another “Climate Change Threat.”

[Recon Dad]

Fantastic!!! I live exactly 4 miles west from Surf City, NC. I am already getting estimates for my boat ramp!!!

[stanne]

This is so bogus.

I live on a beach on the east coast. Been here for decades and generations. The houses are pre revolutionary war here on the beach. The water has not risen. And there has even no construction. The local liberals like to talk climate change. They sound like lifelong drunken stammering senseless idiots

[BikerJoe]

This is so bogus.

Exactly. I've been asking for years "How do they know the land isn't sinking?"

All over the world we have intact sunken cities from thousands of years ago. Did the oceans rise, or has the land been sinking?

[rhinohunter]

So now we see the media-narrative for how they will write off their epic-fail on rising sea levels. Sadly, many morons will buy it.

[wille777]

but but but MAH SEA LEVELS RISIN

[Redwood71]

Someone help me. If the sea is rising, and land is being uncovered, how is that possible? That would mean that water and soil are appearing to cover the same point at the same time. Is the earth growing? Basic physics says two solids, and water applies in this case because it has a space requirement. cannot fill the same location at the same time. You have just entered, the BS Zone.

red

[B4Ranch]

The reason the ocean is not rising is because of the soil being removed from the ocean. /sarc

[Right Wing Assault]

"Also, anyone planning to buy a beachfront home could check the local coastline for signs of erosion."

Wow! What a great idea!! Duh.

[norwaypinesavage]

Oh noes!!! At this rate we will run out of ocean in 359 years. We must immediately all start driving SUVs to offset the ocean loss.

[RegulatorCountry]

I suspect much of the loss can be attributed to subsidence, and the rest to erosion. Here in NC, there are beach houses dating to the 20’s still standing, but not too many, luck of the draw basically. Hurricanes and beach erosion have taken quite a few if not most of the older beach houses. If you’re on a barrier island, one end will be eroding while the other is building up from sedimentation, it’s a constant process, accelerated by storms. Those islands have always moved. New inlets cut by storms, old ones filled in. That’s the price you pay here for a beach house, it’s a glorified sandbar and sometimes comes out from under the house, which is then condemned if there’s anything left of it.