Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 5, 1 May 2013 — Sea-level rise study [ARTICLE]

Sea-level rise study

A new report released by the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that low-lying atolls in the Paeihe Oeean

will likely be inundated by seawater as a result of global warming sooner than previously predicted, according to a statement released by the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Nahonal Monument. Researchers who studied Midway Atoll and Laysan Island in Papahānaumokuākea, describe the problems that rising sea levels pose for seabirds, Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles and other wildlife. The implications also have relevance to people living in other Paeihe locales threatened by rising sea levels. The report, Forecasting the Impact of Storm Waves and SeaLevel Rise on Midway Atoll and Laysan Island within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument - A Comparison of Passive Versus Dynamic Inundation Models, is available online at pubs. usgs.gov/of/20 13/1069.