Coastal vulnerability assessment of Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO) to sea-level rise
A coastal vulnerability index (CVI) was used to map the relative vulnerability of the coast to future sea-level rise within Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida. The CVI ranks the following in terms of their physical contribution to sea-level rise-related coastal change: geomorphology, regional coastal slope, rate of relative sea-level rise, historical shoreline change rates, mean tidal range and mean significant wave height. The rankings for each input variable were combined and an index value calculated for 1-minute grid cells covering the park. The CVI highlights those regions where the physical effects of sea-level rise might be the greatest. This approach combines the coastal system's susceptibility to change with its natural ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, yielding a quantitative, although relative, measure of the park's natural vulnerability to the effects of sea-level rise. The CVI provides an objective technique for evaluation and long-term planning by scientists and park managers. Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO) consists of relatively stable to washover-dominated portions of carbonate beach and man-made fortification. The areas within Dry Tortugas that are likely to be most vulnerable to sea-level rise are those with the highest rates of shoreline erosion and the highest wave energy.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2005 |
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Title | Coastal vulnerability assessment of Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO) to sea-level rise |
DOI | 10.3133/ofr20041416 |
Authors | Elizabeth A. Pendleton, E. Robert Thieler, S. Jeffress Williams |
Publication Type | Report |
Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
Series Title | Open-File Report |
Series Number | 2004-1416 |
Index ID | ofr20041416 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center |