| Comparing the role of absolute sea-level rise and vertical tectonic motions in coastal flooding, Torres Islands (Vanuatu). | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 21795605 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Since the late 1990s, rising sea levels around the Torres Islands (north Vanuatu, southwest Pacific) have caused strong local and international concern. In 2002-2004, a village was displaced due to increasing sea incursions, and in 2005 a United Nations Environment Programme press release referred to the displaced village as perhaps the world's first climate change "refugees." We show here that vertical motions of the Torres Islands themselves dominate the apparent sea-level rise observed on the islands. From 1997 to 2009, the absolute sea level rose by 150 + /-20 mm. But GPS data reveal that the islands subsided by 117 + /-30 mm over the same time period, almost doubling the apparent gradual sea-level rise. Moreover, large earthquakes that occurred just before and after this period caused several hundreds of mm of sudden vertical motion, generating larger apparent sea-level changes than those observed during the entire intervening period. Our results show that vertical ground motions must be accounted for when evaluating sea-level change hazards in active tectonic regions. These data are needed to help communities and governments understand environmental changes and make the best decisions for their future. |
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Authors:
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Valérie Ballu; Marie-Noëlle Bouin; Patricia Siméoni; Wayne C Crawford; Stephane Calmant; Jean-Michel Boré; Tony Kanas; Bernard Pelletier |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2011-07-27 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Volume: 108 ISSN: 1091-6490 ISO Abbreviation: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. Publication Date: 2011 Aug |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2011-08-11 Completed Date: 2011-10-18 Revised Date: 2012-02-09 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 7505876 Medline TA: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 13019-22 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Géoazur, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6526, Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement, Port Vila, Vanuatu. ballu@ipgp.fr |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Floods* Geography* Motion* Satellite Communications Seawater* Vanuatu Water Movements* |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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