Sea-level Rise Vulnerability

of Contiguous U.S. Coastal Beaches

This web map visualizes the relative susceptibility of coastal beaches to sea-level rise through the use of a coastal vulnerability index (CVI). The initial classification used in the CVI is based upon the following variables: geomorphology, regional coastal slope, tide range, wave height, relative sea-level rise and shoreline erosion and accretion rates. The combination of these variables and the association of these variables to each other furnish a broad overview of beaches where physical changes are likely to occur due to sea-level rise. Additional CVI information can be found at the National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards website.

Data for this project were obtained from the USGS Coastal Change Hazards Portal and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names GNIS. Map design & coding were completed by Lis Fano.