Coastal Vulnerability Assessment of Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS) to Sea-Level Rise
Pendleton EA, Thieler ER, Williams SJ, Beavers RL. 2004. Coastal Vulnerability Assessment of Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS) to Sea-Level Rise. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Report. 2004-1090
A coastal vulnerability index (CVI) was used to map the relative vulnerability of the coast to future sea-level rise within Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. The CVI ranks the following in terms of their physical contribution to sea-level rise-related coastal change: geomorphology, regional coastal slope, rate of relative sea-level rise, shoreline change rates, mean tidal range and mean significant wave height. The rankings for each variable were combined and an index value calculated for 1-minute grid cells covering the park. The CVI highlights those regions where the physical effects of sea-level rise might be the greatest. This approach combines the coastal system's susceptibility to change with its natural ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, yielding a quantitative, although relative, measure of the park's natural vulnerability to the effects of sea-level rise. The CVI provides an objective technique for evaluation and long-term planning by scientists and park managers. Padre Island National Seashore consists of stable to washover-dominated portions of barrier beach backed by wetland, marsh, tidal flat, or grassland. The areas within Padre that are likely to be most vulnerable to sea-level rise are those with the highest occurrence of overwash and the highest rates of shoreline change.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Pendleton, Elizabeth; Thieler, E; Williams, S; Beavers, Rebecca
- Date of Issue
- 2004
- Units
- HIST , PAIS , WRD
- Keywords
- Coast, Coastal Vulnerability Index, cvi, ehistory, History, Sea-level