Rising Seas and Sandy Beach Transgressions: A Study in Northern Puget Sound

Washington State Department of Natural Resources geographer and Western Washington University alumnus Michael Grilliot speaks about rising sea levels in Puget Sound.

In his lecture, Grilliot discusses the potential effects of sea level rise on the physical profile of sandy beaches on San Juan Island, including transgression of the shoreline and backshore erosion. While similar work has been conducted on sandy beaches around the world, Grilliots work is the first modeling application of this type in northern Puget Sound. The model used by Grilliot, a variation of the Bruun model modified by Nicholls in 1998, takes into account wave height, elevation, depth and sea level rise along two-dimensional profiles. The results of Grilliots work will provide coastal managers and stakeholders with vital information as to how sea level rise may affect sandy beaches and could influence coastal planning, policy, and management, as well as identify future research targets.