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Emily Price
Professor Harper
Eng 101
10/26/14
Rising Sea Level Leads to Rising Concern
Starting in the early 20th century, people became aware of the growing threat of global
warming and rising sea levels. This discovery put panic in some while others rolled their eyes at
the myth. But global warming and sea level rises are very real, and a very real threat. A study
expressed by Eggleston shows that by the year 2100, the sea level could rise 12.2-78.7 inches
(3). A couple feet doesnt seem like much, but with the rise of water and the land subsidence
combined, by the end of the century the habitats in the Delmarva area will be altered
dramatically, coastal landscape will be reshaped, and the damage from storms in this area will
increase significantly due to larger waves (Glick 4).
In this paper I will first cover the major causes of the rising sea and eroding land. Then
Ill explain the different issues that will arise from the threat of a deeper bay area, land
subsidence, and overall climate change. I will continue on to explain why people may think its
not a big deal, then explain why they are incorrect. And finally, I will conclude in explaining
what I think should be done to avoid disastrous events. The purpose of this paper is to educate
the public on how global rising sea levels are having more of an impact on the Delmarva region
than any other region in the United States and why it is an issue that needs to be addressed
immediately.
Some people may argue that it is natural for the sea level to rise, and it is. Throughout
earth's existence, the sea has changed, continents moved, and the world froze over. This is all a

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natural part of the earths climate cycles and has taken place over tens of thousands of years. But
with the help of humans, the average rate of sea level rise has gone from nearly nothing, to 3 mm
a year. A common question is where is all this water coming from?. There are two main
sources: Land ice, which includes glaciers and ice caps, and land water storage, which includes
water (both liquid and solid) stored in groundwater and soil water zones and in surface water
bodies (lakes, artificial reserves, etc.). The land ice contributes to the sea level rise by melting
due to global warming. The melting of land ice on its own has caused, for 1961 to 2003, the sea
level to assessed 0.50 0.18 mm yr, and for 1993 to 2003, 0.77 0.22 mm yr. The water that is
lost from groundwater storage contributes to the sea level rise by eventually reaching the ocean
through the atmosphere or surface flow. (Bindoff 409-418)
Humans are not necessarily causing the sea level rise, but accelerating it greatly. By the
year 2100, the sea level is estimated to rise a foot. This has a greater effect on the Delmarva area
than most of the United States. The average rate of sea level rise along Marylands coastline has
been 3-4 mm/yr, or approximately one foot per century. Such rates are nearly twice those of the
global average (1.8 mm/year), a result probably due to substantial land subsidence (Johnson iv).
Researchers have already begun looking into what the impacts are associated with sea level rise
along Marylands coastline. The threat of significant change to coastal and nearshore
environments is quickly becoming a reality.
Because of Marylands region and environment, it is more vulnerable to the effects of sea
level rise. Zoe Johnson from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources states Researchers
generally agree that the primary impacts of sea level rise include coastal flooding, coastal
erosion, wetland inundation, and salt water intrusion. Marylands coastline, made up of the
varied landscapes of the Chesapeake Bay, the Coastal Bays, and the Atlantic Coast, is highly

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susceptible to all such impacts (7). The most significant threats to Marylands coastline are
shoreline erosion, inundation, and coastal flooding. Shoreline erosion is a major threat to the
Delmarva area. Its estimated that 260 acres will be lost to erosion per year. The sea level rise
affects coastals storms as well by increasing the height of waves, resulting in severe flooding that
reaches more inland, causing storms to surge homes, businesses, and roadways. Inundation is
the total submergence of land by water. A significant portion of the Eastern Shore is less than 1.5
meters above sea level, these areas may be inundated at high tide if sea level rises 50 centimeters
or more. (Johnson 7-10)
Land subsidence is another very dangerous issue that threatens life on the eastern shore.
This is when the land itself around the coastline just eroded away. The southern Chesapeake Bay
region contains valuable natural and historical sites that are vulnerable to land subsidence,
caused by sea-level rise. A significant portion of the Eastern Shore is less than 1.5 meters above
sea level. The areas in red on
Figure 1 roughly portray land
that may be inundated at high
tide if sea level rises 50
centimeters or more(Johnson
9). The Chesapeake Bay, as a
whole, is the largest estuary in
the United States and is home
to hundreds of plant and
animal species, including
many endangered species.

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Land subsidence also increases the likelihood of flooding. Future land subsidence can be reduced
or even stopped by changing water-use practices. Because aquifer-system compaction appears
to be the primary cause of land subsidence in the southern Chesapeake Bay region, reducing
compaction can potentially reduce land subsidence and associated flood risks. (Eggleston 26)
The sea level is rising and the coastlines are eroding, so why dont we all just move? We
humans could just move away and live somewhere else, but the Delmarva area is the habitat of
countless living things, including the canvasback, mallard, American black duck, tundra swan,
great blue heron, snowy egret and many more. Marylands coastlines are also a critical nesting
site for sea turtles. If we humans dont fix what we started, those habitats will be destroyed along
with all the animals living in them. Patricia Glick, is a senior global warming specialist, states
Some species will be affected directly by lost habitat, while others will be affected indirectly by
widespread shifts in ecosystem composition and the regional food web (7). Because we
(humans as a whole) are
accelerating the rate of sea
level rise and causing
global warming, we have a responsibility to put forth effort in helping the damage we caused.
Sea-level rise needs to be a major consideration in the regions coastal management and
ecological restoration plans. There are many different ideas and plans that all aim towards the
goal of prevented damage that the rising sea will cause. One idea presented by Glick is to
preserve the ability of habitats to migrate inland as sea levels rise by protecting expanded
buffers along coasts and rivers, capitalizing on locations with little or no development, such as
marginal agricultural lands (9). Glick also states We may be able to preserve habitats in some
areas by restoring natural replenishment of sediments, for example, by removing seawalls,

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reforesting riparian areas, or reconsidering the use of river dams She goes on to say that with
this plan of action, we would have to be very careful with what type of sediments are used to not
harm any of the delicate ecosystems.
There are already several actions that have taken place around the world with the
intention of preventing sea level rise in certain areas. A commonly used tool for protecting both
development and wetlands in bay areas is coastal armoring. This is linear protection, such as
levees and seawalls, that fix the shoreline in its current place. A disadvantage to coastal armoring
is that its a short-term solution and requires constant maintenance to ensure it remains safe.
Another example of a tool used against the sea level rise is a barrier. This is a large dam, gate, or
lock, or a series of them, that manages tidal flows. The San Francisco Bay currently in use of a
barrier that manages the tides in and out of the bay. Downstream of central London one could
find the Thames Barrier which is a series of river gates built in the 1970s. Laura Tam, SPURs
sustainable development policy director, states in her web article Barriers could protect a large
area of land in a single sweep. A single, technological fix, particularly if it is at the Golden Gate,
protects a huge area of land from flooding with one project. Barriers also protect everyone, and
therefore have no social equity issues that might follow a more piecemeal or land use-based
strategy in which some places would get protected and others would need to be abandoned. But
a major fall back of barriers is their cost; costing anywhere between 4 and 25 billion to construct.
(Tam)
The sea level has started to rise at an alarming rate in the past century. And it turns out,
its our fault. So we have a responsibility to put forth effort in avoiding major damages that will
befall onto countless ecosystems and all the living things in them. There are measures that can be
taken to avoid major damage from the sea level; such as barriers, coastal armoring, and

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preserving our treasured Delmarva wildlife by adding sediment to shorelines. I hope you are
more educated on how global rising sea levels are having more of an impact on the Delmarva
region than any other region in the United States and why it is an issue that needs to be addressed
immediately.

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Works Cited
Bindoff, N.L., J. Willebrand, V. Artale, A, Cazenave, J. Gregory, S. Gulev, K. Hanawa, C. Le
Qur, S. Levitus, Y. Nojiri, C.K. Shum, L.D. Talley and A. Unnikrishnan, 2007:
Observations: Oceanic Climate Change and Sea Level. In: Climate Change 2007: The
Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S.,D. Qin, M.
Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)].
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
Eggleston, Jack R., and Jason P. Pope. Land Subsidence and Relative Sea-level Rise in the
Southern Chesapeake Bay Region. 2013.
<http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1392/pdf/circ1392.pdf>
Glick, Patricia, and Jonathan Clough. Sea-level Rise and Coastal Habitats in the Chesapeake
Bay Region Technical Report. Reston, Va.: National Wildlife Federation, 2008.
<http://www.nwf.org/pdf/Reports/NWF_ChesapeakeReportFINAL12pg.pdf>
Johnson, Zoe. A Sea Level Rise Response Strategy for the State of Maryland. Annapolis, Md.:
Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources, Coastal Zone Management Division,
2000.<http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/PAWGdocs/ci/071007CIsealevelstrategy.p
df>
Tam, Laura. "Strategies for Managing Sea Level Rise." SPUR. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.spur.org/publications/article/2009-11-01/strategies-managing-sea-levelrise>.

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