Land Loss Along the Atlantic Coast

This feature provides insight into one consequence of sea level rise along the Atlantic coast: land conversion into open water.

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 over three periods: 1996–2001, 1996–2006, and 1996–2011.

The results were divided into two regions: the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic. Negative numbers indicate where soil loss is faster than new land accumulation.

Area	1996-2001	1996-2006	1996-2011
Mid-Atlantic	-1.56093	5.070951	3.545808
Southeast	8.376642	13.02991	16.43185

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 over three periods: 1996–2001, 1996–2006, and 1996–2011. The results are divided into categories to show the type of land converted to open water.

Area	1996-2001	1996-2006	1996-2011
Dry land --> Open water	2.06306	3.517662	5.926476
Non-tidal wetland --> Open water	0.155329	2.374413	3.35434
Tidal wetland --> Open water	4.597319	12.20878	10.69685

Much of the land along the Atlantic coast is flat and close to sea level—including thousands of square miles of marsh and other productive wetlands, along with many low-lying cities.

In addition, much of the land along the Atlantic coast is sinking, increasing the local impact of sea level rise. The land in North America is still adapting to ice loss after the last ice age, which peaked around 20,000 years ago.

Before that, thick ice sheets covered what is now Canada and the northern United States. All that ice weighed on the land below it but caused the ground further south to swell. After the ice melted and the extra weight was removed, the northern regions began to rise, and the Mid-Atlantic region began to sink.

• Rising sea levels tend to headline during extreme events, such as high tides that caused billions of dollars in damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
  
  However, rising sea levels can also cause damage cause permanent changes to the landscape as it floods the lowlands. The Atlantic coast is particularly vulnerable due to its low altitude and sinking coastline.

• Loss of coastal land can affect many people, as nearly 10 million Americans live in coastal floodplains. Coastal ecosystems are also at risk.
  
  These environments provide habitat for various plants and animals and services that ensure human well-being, from food production to recreation.
  
  
• Coastal wetlands provide valuable feeding, feeding, breeding, nesting, and resting areas for many species of fish, shellfish, mammals, and birds. They can act as buffers for coastal areas against storm and wave damage.

• Coastal land change measurements depend on land cover and elevation data, with significant limits on accuracy and precision. Some results are field tested for accuracy.
  
  Coastal land cover data are regularly compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coastal Change Analysis Program.
  
  They represent the most comprehensive federal government data on land use and land cover in coastal areas.

This feature is based on land cover data from the Coastal Change Analysis Program, coordinated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.