Rhode Island CRMC-Planning
for Climate Change and Sea
Level Rise.
What We Have In Place already
  Erosion
Rate Mapping For The Entire
Shoreline.
  Ban On Shoreline Protection Structures
  Dune Protection-No Development
  Erosion Rate Setbacks—Off
  Ban on Infrastructure Both Public And
Private On Barrier Systems
  Classification Barriers 82% No Residential
Or Commercial Structures
  Sea Level Rise Policy (3-5 Feet) It is the
lens which we look at all other policies
Coastal Hazards
Additional Considerations for the Future
  Add Freeboard for Strom Surge
  Erosion Setbacks Adjusted for Sea
Level
Rise
  Coastal A Zone with Adjustment for Sea
Level Rise for A and V zones
  TDR’s redirecting Development
Coastal Hazards and Climate
Change
Sediment Transport Pathways
Charlestown – Green Hill
Barrier and Headland
The Message:
Many
Directions and
Processes
Green Hill
Lagoon
Ninigret
Lagoon
l
n Hil
e
e
r
G
Barrie
Green Hill
Headland
r
Trustom
Lagoon
Climate Change
and the
Future Shore Zone
of
Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Possible Future
Climate
North Jersey – Now Already ???
Rhode
Island
Confronting Climate Change in the
U.S. Northeast: Climate, Impacts,
and Solutions, NECIA, 2007
http://www.northeastclimateimpacts.org/
Carbon Dioxide - CO2 Levels
Now 394+ ppm
A Cause for Concern
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/science/past-present-and-future.html#3
THE HOCKEY
STICK
Medieval Warm Period
The Message
Temp
lags CO2
Little Ice
Age
Moberg et al, 2005
Greenland Outlet Glaciers
Change from Polythermal to Warm Based
A Key to Future Sea-Level Rise
Brathwaite, 2002
Eustatic
Sea-Level
Rise
+
Isostatic
Rebound
at
Block Island
RI
Isostatic
Rebound
Relative
Sea Level
Eustatic
Sea Level
Laurentide
Ice
Sheet?
Laurentide
.
-1
2m
Ice100yr
Sheet?
2m.100yr-1
Antarctic Ice
Sheet?
2-5m.100yr-1
Explanation
Oakley and Boothroyd,
July 2012
6.1 ft
VR Max
4.5 ft
185 cm
VR A1F1
137 cm
VR B1
100 cm
Height above NOW
1.4 ft
41
2050
Shoreline Change (Beach)
SAMP
Coastal Hazards and Climate
Change
Summary for Rhode Island:
•  Glacial Geology, Past and Present,
the Underlying Key to Understanding Processes
and Products
•  Storms the Most Important Driver in Coastal
Change
•  Sea-Level Rise a Secondary Effect
•  Future Major Storms Combined With Sea-Level
Rise a Very Large Problem
•  Accelerated Sea-Level Rise Resulting in Inundation
also a Very Large Potential Problem
•  RICRMC Planning for a 3-5 foot Rise by 2100
Depositional Environments
Moonstone-Matunuck Shoreface
Dp ss
GO bgc
Dp ss
Css sd
Dpv cg
Moonstone-Matunuck Barrier/Headland Shoreface
How Does This Play Out In The
Field?
Frontal Erosion 1939-2011 Browning Cottages, Moonstone Beach, RI
n
Actio
2011
House
moved to
Upland
2006
1939
Browning’s Cottages Historic District
1972
Houses moved 50 feet landward
1999
1992
Houses threatened again
ISDS damaged
2007
South Kingstown Town Beach
Courtesy of Jon Boothroyd
August 1994
South Kingstown, RI – Town Beach
An Eroding Glacial Bluff Shore
BA Oakley
Napatree Barrier – Westerly, RI
Little Narragansett Bay
Watch Hill
Hehre and Boothroyd, 2007
Napatree Barrier – Shoreline Change Map
2004 – Sound Side
1939 – Sound Side
-71.6m
1939 –
Ocean Side
2004 – Ocean Side
Hehre and Boothroyd, 2007
Narragansett Pier Area
Inundation Depths based on
2012 DFIRMs
Wastewater
Pump
Station
Ninigret – Green Hill Lagoons
2003 – 2004 Orthophoto
Today
Ninigret – Green Hill Lagoons
2100 Inundation – 5 ft
200 ft Barrier Migration
Projected
Charlestown Beach Storm Surge 100 Year Event in 2008
WAVE ENVELOPE and STORM SURGE
for
100 YEAR EVENT
Charlestown Beach - CHA-EZ
Elevation Above MLLW - feet
Jon C Boothroyd, Bryan A Oakley, GEO 577 Class - 2007
2007 Wave
Envelope - ft
20
10
V19
V17
Storm Surge 1938
+ Sea-level Rise
V16
20
V18
V17
V16
V15
13.87 ft
10
House
MHHW
0
V21
MSL 2007
0
NGVD 1929
Sediment eroded
from profile
-10
-300
-200
-100
0
100
-10
200
300
400
500
600
700
Distance Landward from Mean Sea Level - feet
800
900
1000
1100
1200
Ninigret Lagoon
Today
Ninigret Lagoon
Today
East Beach Barrier – Ninigret Lagoon - View East