Measuring changes in land and sea levels for the assessment of flood risk

Research to measure long-term changes in land and sea levels around the coast of Great Britain and along the Thames Estuary and River Thames.

From:
Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
17 February 2021
Category:
Understanding risks from all sources of flooding
Topics:
Asset monitoring, Climate change, Coast, Flood risk assessment, Flood warning, Monitoring and detection, Non-stationarity, Offsite methods and remote techniques, Sea level rise, Understanding physical processes
Project status:
Completed
Project code:
FD2319
Date of completion:
31 March 2006

Documents

Absolute fixing of tide gauge benchmarks and land levels - summary (157 KB) PDF

Absolute fixing of tide gauge benchmarks and land levels - technical report (10.5 MB) PDF

Absolute fixing of tide gauge benchmarks and land levels - final report (2MB) PDF

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Details

Since 1997, Defra and the Environment Agency have been funding research to measure long-term changes in land and sea levels around the coast of Great Britain and along the Thames Estuary and River Thames. The aims of these measurements are to obtain direct estimates of current changes in land level and to use these to obtain estimates of changes in sea level.

This study presents:

  • regional and national tide gauge
  • satellite GPS
  • absolute gravity and InSAR data

It uses this data to provide accurate information on current changes in ground levels and sea levels. It also looks at the potential future relative changes of sea level around the coast of Britain and along the Thames Estuary. The results will enhance current guidance on allowances or future sea level fluctuations for assessment of flood risk operationally (Environment Agency) and strategically (Defra).

Findings

This study offers independent direct measurements of land level movements over the past decade with which to verify and refine previous indirect assessments. The findings presented provide Defra with data needed to review policy directions on sea level rise allowances. The research findings do not indicate any major shocks or surprises emerging from the monitoring.

Future benefits

This project will provide the basis for review and refinement rather than any major change in advice on sea level rise. This will become especially significant as Defra and the Environment Agency implement new climate change scenarios in UKCIP08.

This report also explores the implications for predicting future risk from sea level rise at national and regional scales. This will be of use to planners, policy makers and those with an interest in dealing with sea level rise and coastal flood risk management.

This project ran from 2003 to 2006 at a cost of £859,375.

Published 17 February 2021
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