Sea Level Rise: Threatened Areas Maps

Cal Adapt

This interactive tool allows viewers to explore, by county, the areas of California threatened by a rise in sea level through this century.

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Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials.

Students could explore more on sea level rise found at [link http://www.opc.ca.gov/2010/07/coastal-and-ocean-climate-action-team-co-cat/]. Interactive could serve as a launching point for students to investigate and discuss the impacts in this area on other stakeholders. Weaving in solutions in a lesson about sea level rise will avoid gloom-and-doom feeling.
Data for this interactive tool was collected from the USGS and Pacific Institute. The data does not show the vulnerability of the farmlands of the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta (only coastal area vulnerability is shown in the map and the Google Earth map implies that the entire western CA is addressed). Color scheme: dark blue is 100 year flood and the other colors show sea level rise. Comments from expert scientist: It combines several good teaching tools on coastal change. It is a bit misleading, however, to discuss sea-level rise in California without any mention of tide gauge data. The projected rise of sea level that is quoted (up to 140 cm) is from IPCC models that address global average sea level. Due to the California coast being tectonically active, there are many locales where sea level rates are quite different than the global average.
Sea level interactive tool should be coupled with related stories. Limited background information on sea level rise on this particular site. Graph-it feature (tab on right hand side) allows students to explore more data and allow for comparison of map and data. User can zoom in on selected areas and towns and then push the graph-it tool to see the percent change in their area. User has to zoom in significantly to see the different color-shades. Tool fits well in module on sea level rise and 100 year flood events.