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| Land Loss Along the Atlantic Coast |
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 A Closer Look: Land Loss Along the
Atlantic Coast
This feature provides a closer look at one consequence of
sea level rise along the Atlantic coast: the conversion of
land to open water.
Key Points
Roughly 20 square miles of dry land and wetland were
converted to open water along the Atlantic coast between
1996 and 2011. (For reference, Manhattan is 33 square
miles.) More of this loss occurred in the Southeast than in
the Mid-Atlantic (see Figure 1).
The data suggest that at least half of the land lost since
1996 has been tidal wetland. The loss of dry land appears to
be larger than the loss of non-tidal wetland (see Figure 2). |
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Background
Rising sea level tends to make headlines during extreme
events, like the storm surge that caused billions of dollars
in damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Yet rising sea
level can also cause permanent changes in the landscape when
it inundates (submerges) low-lying land. The Atlantic coast
is particularly vulnerable because of low elevations and
sinking shorelines.
The loss of coastal land can affect a large number of
people, as nearly 10 million Americans live in a coastal
floodplain.1 Coastal ecosystems are also at risk. These
environments provide habitat for many kinds of plants and
animals, as well as services that ensure people’s
well-being, ranging from food production to recreation.
Coastal wetlands provide valuable nursery, feeding,
breeding, staging, and resting areas for many fish,
shellfish, mammals, and birds, and they can buffer coastal
areas against storm and wave damage.
As sea level rises, dry land can turn into wetland or open
water. Existing wetlands can be threatened, too, as salt
marshes, mangrove forests, and other coastal wetlands are at
risk of being converted to open water.
The Sea Level indicator shows that sea level is rising
overall in connection with climate change, but the rate of
change varies by region, as do the effects. To provide a
useful regional perspective, this feature examines the
amount of land lost to sea level rise along the Atlantic
coast from Florida to New York. It is based on satellite
data that have been collected and analyzed at five-year
intervals since 1996. Figure 1 divides the Atlantic coast
into two regions for comparison, while Figure 2 shows the
different types of land that have been lost. |
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Notes
Measurements of the change in coastal land depend on land
cover and elevation data, which have significant limits in
terms of accuracy and precision. Some results are
field-checked for accuracy. The coastal land cover data are
routinely compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Coastal Change Analysis Program, and they
represent the federal government’s most comprehensive set of
data on land use and land cover in the coastal zone.
Sea level rise is not the only factor that contributes to
the loss of coastal land. In addition to the natural sinking
of the shoreline in some areas, such as the Mid-Atlantic,
coastal land loss has been made worse by human activities
such as navigation and flood control structures that block
wetland migration or the movement of sediment; withdrawal of
ground water, oil, or natural gas in some regions; and boat
traffic that accelerates wetland erosion.4 Natural processes
unrelated to current sea level rise can also cause shores to
erode.
Additional Note
Why is the Atlantic coast particularly vulnerable to sea
level rise?
Much of the land along the Atlantic coast is flat and close
to sea level—including thousands of square miles of marshes
and other productive wetlands, plus many low-lying cities.
In addition, much of the land along the Atlantic coast is
sinking, which magnifies the local effect of sea level rise.
The land in North America is actually still adjusting to the
loss of ice after the last ice age, which peaked about
20,000 years ago. Back then, thick sheets of ice covered
areas of what is now Canada and the northern United States.
The weight of all that ice depressed the land beneath it,
but caused the land farther south (particularly the
Mid-Atlantic region from North Carolina to New York) to
bulge upward. After the ice melted and the extra weight was
lifted, northern areas began to rise, and the Mid-Atlantic
region started to sink. This very slow process continues
today.
Data Sources
This feature is based on land cover data from the Coastal
Change Analysis Program, which is coordinated by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For more
information about this program, visit:
https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/?redirect=301ocm.
Technical Documentation
Download related technical information PDF |
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 Figure
1. Land Loss Along the Atlantic Coast, 1996–2011
This graph shows the net amount of land converted to open
water along the Atlantic coast during three time periods:
1996–2001, 1996–2006, and 1996–2011. The results are divided
into two regions: the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic (see
locator map). Negative numbers show where land loss is
outpaced by the accumulation of new land.
Data source: NOAA, 20132 |
 Reference
Map
Reference map for figure 1 above. |
 Figure
2. Land Submergence Along the Atlantic Coast,
1996–2011
This graph shows the net amount of land converted to open
water along the Atlantic coast during three time periods:
1996–2001, 1996–2006, and 1996–2011. The results are divided
into categories to show the type of land that has been
converted to open water.
Data source: NOAA, 20133 |
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EPA Page |
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This is the
EPA page for this topic. To see if the Trump
administration has changed the EPA page, simply click the
link and compare the information with this page. If you
notice changes were made to the EPA page, please post a
comment. Thanks. |
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Additional Climate Change Information |
Climate Change and Carbon Dioxide
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of climate change
and carbon dioxide.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice. |
Carbon Dioxide and Climate Change
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of carbon dioxide
and climate change.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice. |
Environmental Group Warns Earth's Health at Risk
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of climate change.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice.
A report by the World Wildlife Fund looked at thousands of animal populations
and found they have dropped significantly in 40 years. |
Sea Levels Rising at Fastest Rate in 3,000 years
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of climate change.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice.
A group of scientists say sea levels are rising at record rates. Another group
found that January temperatures in the Arctic reached a record high. |
Capturing CO2 Gas Is Not Easy
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of climate change.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice.
Most scientists agree that carbon-dioxide gas is partly to blame for climate
change: rising global temperatures. But capturing the CO2 gas released by power
stations is costly and difficult. |
Growth, Climate Change Threaten African Plants and
Animals
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of climate change.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice.
Researchers believe Africa may lose as much as 30 percent of its animal and
plant species by the end of this century. |
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