Impact of anthropogenic subsidence on relative sea-level rise in the Fraser River delta

Research Article| September 01, 2009 Impact of anthropogenic subsidence on relative sea-level rise in the Fraser River delta S. Mazzotti; S. Mazzotti 1Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia V8L 4B2, Canada2School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3V6, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A. Lambert; A. Lambert 1Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia V8L 4B2, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M. Van der Kooij; M. Van der Kooij 3MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5E7, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A. Mainville A. Mainville 4Geodetic Survey Division, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E9, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information S. Mazzotti 1Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia V8L 4B2, Canada2School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3V6, Canada A. Lambert 1Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia V8L 4B2, Canada M. Van der Kooij 3MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5E7, Canada A. Mainville 4Geodetic Survey Division, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E9, Canada Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 31 Oct 2008 Revision Received: 31 Mar 2009 Accepted: 09 Apr 2009 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2009 Geological Society of America Geology (2009) 37 (9): 771–774. https://doi.org/10.1130/G25640A.1 Article history Received: 31 Oct 2008 Revision Received: 31 Mar 2009 Accepted: 09 Apr 2009 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation S. Mazzotti, A. Lambert, M. Van der Kooij, A. Mainville; Impact of anthropogenic subsidence on relative sea-level rise in the Fraser River delta. Geology 2009;; 37 (9): 771–774. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G25640A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Subsidence is a common cause of amplified relative sea-level rise, flooding, and erosion in coastal environments. In particular, subsidence due to sediment consolidation can play a significant role in relative sea-level rise in large deltas. We use a combination of InSAR (interferometric synthetic aperture radar), leveling, and global positioning system data to map absolute vertical land motion in the Fraser River delta, western Canada. We show that primary consolidation of shallow Holocene sediments is the main cause for the slow subsidence (−1 to −2 mm/a) affecting the delta lowlands. In addition, parts of the delta undergo increased anthropogenic subsidence. Rapid subsidence rates (−3 to −8 mm/a) are associated with recent artificial loads and exhibit a first-order exponential decrease with a time constant of ~20 years, consistent with the theory of consolidation. Assuming two sea-level rise scenarios of 30 or 100 cm by the end of the twenty-first century, natural subsidence will augment relative sea-level rise in the Fraser Holocene lowlands by ~50% or ~15%. Anthropogenic subsidence will augment relative sea-level rise by ~130% or ~40%, potentially raising it to as much as 1–2 m. In deltaic, lacustrine, and alluvial environments, anthropogenic sediment consolidation can result in significant amplification and strong spatial variations of relative sea-level rise that need to be considered in local planning. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.