GPS Campaign Surveys for Estimating Vertical Land Motion to Inform Coastal Management

December 12, 2024  |  2:00-3:00 pm, ET

Presenters: Philippe Hensel - NGS Geodesist, James Duda - USGS Physical Scientist, and Dr. D. Sarah Stamps - Associate Professor of Geophysics at Virginia Tech

Vertical Land Motion (VLM), is a poorly understood and often spatially variable phenomenon which can contribute significantly to the apparent long-term sea level change seen at a tide station. Along our nation’s coastlines, it is important to identify the factors contributing to local apparent (relative) sea-level change to understand what management options might exist to mitigate any increased risk of inundation and flooding. Today’s talk will explore how episodic campaign-style GPS measurements are being used to densify our understanding of VLM in the Chesapeake Bay region, and explore the implications of some preliminary findings.