New York Case Study

Question 1

Eustatic fall

Answer 1

It happens during glacial periods
Ice sheets are formed on high - latitude land
Evaporated water is locked up as ice
This leads to less water in the sea

Question 2

Eustatic rise

Answer 2

Inter glacial periods - ice sheets on land melt.
Melted water returns to the sea so sea level rises
Global temperatures also cause thermal expansion - water particles move faster and take up more space, increasing the volume of ocean water

Question 3

Isostatic fall

Answer 3

Ice sheets melt, and land surface slowly rebounds upwards - lifting the land surface out of the sea - sea level appears to fall

Question 4

Isostatic rise

Answer 4

During glaciers : land is compressed by the weight of glaciers, cause sea level to appear to rise.
During interglacials : ice melts leads to sediment being deposited in large river deltas, leading to increased weight - sea level appears to rise

Question 5

New York City disaster

Answer 5

Hurricane sandy occured in 2012 with wind speeds of up to 90milesperhour
Coastal flooding was up to 14ft high
53 people were killed, and $32billion in damage
The NY stock exchange closed,subway tunnels were flooded and large hospitals were left without power

Question 6

Where is there a problem?

Answer 6

US eastern sea - board (coastline)
One of the most populated coastlines, and it is particularly low lying
12% of the US live there

Question 7

Why is there physical vulnerability?

Answer 7

Sea level rise
Storm surges
Subsidence (sediment deposition)

Question 8

What are human activities that make the risk of flooding worse?

Answer 8

Mangrove deforestation, they could reduce wave height and stabilise sediment and storm surges
River straightening so sediment is propelled offshore faster

Question 9

How much SLR did NY see

Answer 9

1ft of SLR (higher than the global average) because of thermal expansion and land based ice melting

Question 10

What became flooded with saltwater?

Answer 10

4000ft of Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and other subways were flooded with salt water

Question 11

How much SLR do they expect

Answer 11

28 more inches by 2100

Question 12

What cut off emergency power

Answer 12

Emergency service sub stations were flooded, cutting off emergency power to hospitals and financial district of Manhattan

Question 13

The NY buildings

Answer 13

NY buildings and suspension bridges are some of the tallest in the world