Module overview
Understanding changes in sea level is of the utmost importance, as it: (1) shapes the coastlines; (2) affects the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people living in the world’s coastal regions, and (3) is a key indicator of climate change. Sea-level rise is one of the most certain implications of climate change, and one of the biggest challenges we face. It will cause significant and costly impacts on our coasts in the 21st century and beyond.
In this course, we will examine why understanding sea-level change is important and how we measure it. We will then examine the key processes controlling sea-level variability and extremes, including mean sea level, astronomical tides, storm surges, waves, and extreme events. The course will also introduce numerical modelling approaches for simulating coastal processes and assessing coastal responses to sea-level change and extreme events. We will discuss coastal engineering and management strategies to address sea-level changes.