Predicting wave overtopping thresholds on coral reef-island shorelines with future sea-level rise.

ABSTRACT: Wave-driven flooding is a serious hazard on coral reef-fringed coastlines that will be exacerbated by global sea-level rise. Despite the global awareness of atoll island vulnerability, little is known about the physical processes that control wave induced flooding on reef environments. To resolve the primary controls on wave-driven flooding at present and future sea levels, we present a globally applicable method for calculating wave overtopping thresholds on reef coastlines. A unique dataset of 60,000 fully nonlinear wave transformation simulations representing a wide range of wave energy, morphology and sea levels conditions was analysed to develop a tool for exploring the future trajectory of atoll island vulnerability to sea-level rise. The proposed reef-island overtopping threshold (R

SUBMITTER: Beetham E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6162202 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature