Projected Land Loss from Sea Level Rise in Coastal Louisiana

Figure 25.9

This figure appears in chapter 25 of the Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment report.

http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/coasts/graphics/projected-land-loss-sea-level-rise-coastal-louisiana

These maps show expected future land change in coastal Louisiana under two different sea level rise scenarios without protection or restoration actions. Red indicates a transition from land (either wetlands or barrier islands) to open water. Green indicates new land built over previously open water. Land loss is influenced by factors other than sea level rise, including subsidence, river discharge and sediment load, and precipitation patterns. However, all these factors except sea level rise were held constant for this analysis. The panel on the left shows land change with a sea level rise of 10.6 inches between 2010 and 2060, while the one on the right assumes 31.5 inches of sea level rise for the same period. These amounts of sea level rise are within the projected ranges for this time period (Ch. 2: Our Changing Climate). (Figure source: State of Louisiana, reprinted with permissionf1d65fb3-933a-4bbf-b6ac-25ea4d0409d5).

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This figure was created on March 04, 2014.

This figure was derived from Louisiana’s Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast .

References :

• Louisiana’s Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast (f1d65fb3)

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