Nu‘a kai (piled ocean): Record-breaking Honolulu sea levels and future implications

Speaker

Phil Thompson
Department of Oceanography
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Abstract

The State of Hawaii recently experienced multiple periods of record-high sea levels leading to an unprecedented number of tidal flooding episodes. But why is this happening now? And why so suddenly? In this talk, we will break down the various factors that contributed to recent high sea levels in Hawaii and discuss how often similar conditions will occur in coming decades and beyond. In the process, we will highlight aspects of tidal flooding projections in Hawaii that have implications for coastal management around the globe. Specifically, tidal flooding events tend to cluster together in time, which means planning for the 'typical' future year may substantially underestimate flooding impacts during inevitable severe years. Also, interactions between sea level rise and long-period (e.g., 18.6-year) modulations of tidal amplitude can lead to abrupt increases in the frequency of tidal flooding.

Speaker Bio

Phil Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Director of the University of Hawaii Sea level Center. His current research interests include decadal climate variability, projections of future tidal flooding, and the interaction of sea level and waves in the nearshore environment.