Subsidence along the Atlantic Coast of North America: Insights from GPS and Late Holocene Relative Sea Level Data

Makan A. Karegar; Timothy H. Dixon; Simon E. Engelhart

doi:10.1002/2016GL068015

Subsidence along the Atlantic Coast of North America: Insights from GPS and Late Holocene Relative Sea Level Data

Makan A. Karegar, Timothy H. Dixon, Simon E. Engelhart

School of Geosciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

<p> The Atlantic Coast of North America is increasingly affected by flooding associated with tropical and extratropical storms, exacerbated by the combined effects of accelerated sea&hyphen;level rise and land subsidence. The region includes the collapsing forebulge of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. High&hyphen;quality records of late Holocene relative sea&hyphen;level (RSL) rise are now available, allowing separation of long&hyphen;term glacial isostatic adjustment&hyphen;induced displacement from modern vertical displacement measured by GPS. We compare geological records of late Holocene RSL to present&hyphen;day vertical rates from GPS. For many coastal areas there is no significant difference between these independent data. Exceptions occur in areas of recent excessive groundwater extraction, between Virginia (38°N) and South Carolina (32.5°N). The present&hyphen;day subsidence rates in these areas are approximately double the long&hyphen;term geologic rates, which has important implications for flood mitigation. Tide gauge records, therefore, should be used with caution for studying sea&hyphen;level rise in this region.</p>

Original language	American English
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	43
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068015
State	Published - Apr 1 2016

Keywords

Holocene relative sea level
GPS
glacial isostatic adjustment
Atlantic Coast of North America
groundwater depletion

Disciplines

Earth Sciences

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Subsidence along the Atlantic Coast of North America Insights frFinal published version, 1.15 MBLicense: CC BY

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title = "Subsidence along the Atlantic Coast of North America: Insights from GPS and Late Holocene Relative Sea Level Data",

abstract = " The Atlantic Coast of North America is increasingly affected by flooding associated with tropical and extratropical storms, exacerbated by the combined effects of accelerated sea&hyphen;level rise and land subsidence. The region includes the collapsing forebulge of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. High&hyphen;quality records of late Holocene relative sea&hyphen;level (RSL) rise are now available, allowing separation of long&hyphen;term glacial isostatic adjustment&hyphen;induced displacement from modern vertical displacement measured by GPS. We compare geological records of late Holocene RSL to present&hyphen;day vertical rates from GPS. For many coastal areas there is no significant difference between these independent data. Exceptions occur in areas of recent excessive groundwater extraction, between Virginia (38°N) and South Carolina (32.5°N). The present&hyphen;day subsidence rates in these areas are approximately double the long&hyphen;term geologic rates, which has important implications for flood mitigation. Tide gauge records, therefore, should be used with caution for studying sea&hyphen;level rise in this region.",

keywords = "Holocene relative sea level, GPS, glacial isostatic adjustment, Atlantic Coast of North America, groundwater depletion",

author = "Karegar, {Makan A.} and Dixon, {Timothy H.} and Engelhart, {Simon E.}",

year = "2016",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1002/2016GL068015",

language = "American English",

volume = "43",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Subsidence along the Atlantic Coast of North America: Insights from GPS and Late Holocene Relative Sea Level Data

AU - Karegar, Makan A.

AU - Dixon, Timothy H.

AU - Engelhart, Simon E.

PY - 2016/4/1

Y1 - 2016/4/1

N2 - The Atlantic Coast of North America is increasingly affected by flooding associated with tropical and extratropical storms, exacerbated by the combined effects of accelerated sea&hyphen;level rise and land subsidence. The region includes the collapsing forebulge of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. High&hyphen;quality records of late Holocene relative sea&hyphen;level (RSL) rise are now available, allowing separation of long&hyphen;term glacial isostatic adjustment&hyphen;induced displacement from modern vertical displacement measured by GPS. We compare geological records of late Holocene RSL to present&hyphen;day vertical rates from GPS. For many coastal areas there is no significant difference between these independent data. Exceptions occur in areas of recent excessive groundwater extraction, between Virginia (38°N) and South Carolina (32.5°N). The present&hyphen;day subsidence rates in these areas are approximately double the long&hyphen;term geologic rates, which has important implications for flood mitigation. Tide gauge records, therefore, should be used with caution for studying sea&hyphen;level rise in this region.

AB - The Atlantic Coast of North America is increasingly affected by flooding associated with tropical and extratropical storms, exacerbated by the combined effects of accelerated sea&hyphen;level rise and land subsidence. The region includes the collapsing forebulge of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. High&hyphen;quality records of late Holocene relative sea&hyphen;level (RSL) rise are now available, allowing separation of long&hyphen;term glacial isostatic adjustment&hyphen;induced displacement from modern vertical displacement measured by GPS. We compare geological records of late Holocene RSL to present&hyphen;day vertical rates from GPS. For many coastal areas there is no significant difference between these independent data. Exceptions occur in areas of recent excessive groundwater extraction, between Virginia (38°N) and South Carolina (32.5°N). The present&hyphen;day subsidence rates in these areas are approximately double the long&hyphen;term geologic rates, which has important implications for flood mitigation. Tide gauge records, therefore, should be used with caution for studying sea&hyphen;level rise in this region.

KW - Holocene relative sea level

KW - GPS

KW - glacial isostatic adjustment

KW - Atlantic Coast of North America

KW - groundwater depletion

UR - https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_facpub/1527

U2 - 10.1002/2016GL068015

DO - 10.1002/2016GL068015

M3 - Article

VL - 43

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

ER -

Subsidence along the Atlantic Coast of North America: Insights from GPS and Late Holocene Relative Sea Level Data

Abstract

Keywords

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