New research predicts a doubling of coastal erosion by mid-century in Hawai‘i
A report in the journal Natural Hazards by scientists at SOEST and the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) brings into clearer focus just how dramatically Hawai‘i beaches might change as sea level rises in the future. Chronic erosion dominates the sandy beaches of Hawai‘i, causing beach loss as it damages homes, infrastructure, and critical habitat. “When we modeled future shoreline change with the increased rates of sea level rise (SLR) projected under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s ‘business as usual’ scenario, we found that increased SLR causes an average 16–20 ft of additional shoreline retreat by 2050, and an average of nearly 60 ft of additional retreat by 2100,” said Tiffany Anderson, lead author and post-doctoral researcher.