Evidence of the impact of rising sea level has been found in beach and sand dune movement along the Dutch coastline – indicating that the effect will impact all coastal areas.
Evidence of the impact of rising sea level has been found in beach and sand dune movement along the Dutch coastline – indicating that the effect will impact all coastal areas.
Flinders University’s Professor Patrick Hesp and fellow coastal scientists Christa van IJzendoorn, Sierd de Vries and Caroline Hallin from the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands have measured the vertical translation of the dune toe along the Holland coast, and found it has increased a remarkable 7-to-8 times greater than the measured sea level rise.
Professor Hesp, Strategic Professor of Coastal Studies at Flinders University, believes this proof that rising sea level is affecting coastal dunes should serve as a serious early warning sign about escalating environmental threats due to global warming.
“Sea level is rising due to climate change and is influencing the development and dynamics of coastal dunes,” says Professor Hesp.
Read more at Flinders University
Image: Professor Patrick Hesp (Credit: Flinders University)
