Thomas Ruppert’s Post

Excited to learn NOAA is phasing in the next generation of high-resolution land cover data for the nation’s coastal areas! The new data product is 900 times more detailed than the previous generation of land cover maps. High-resolution land cover data helps flood modelers more accurately simulate how water will flow across the landscape. It can also help municipalities more accurately assess pervious and impervious for the stormwater utility, and wetland scientists and planners evaluate the future resilience of salt marshes.

The River Corridor article I shared a teaser from a few weeks ago has now been published! In this review article, my co-authors (Vaughn Collins, Jeremy Payne, and Tim Abbe) and I propose a holistic approach to define a river corridor as the minimum space needed to sustain key river functions based on an understanding of the desired functions of that corridor and the processes governing channel and floodplain formation. I hope it will help guide how we think about land use around rivers. https://lnkd.in/gXrgKZtA

The first step of any peatland restoration project? An on site feasibility Study! By visiting the site for this highly critical survey, we confirm the presence of any and all mapped features, checking the accuracy of data collected by remote sensing and establishing the eligibility of the project. Peat depths are recorded, condition categories reviewed and, herbivore impacts assessed. This forms the first stage of our comprehensive, intelligent approach. In doing so we mitigate any potential risks thereby giving landowers complete peace of mind and ensuring all project deliverables are captured and achieved. Considering peatland restoration for your land? Get in touch with us: https://buff.ly/3xf8ahh 📸 A shot of some of our team undertaking a ground truthing survey near Spean Bridge. #ClimateCrisis #PeatlandRestoration #ScottishPeatland #ClimateAction #CarbonEmissions #GenerationRestoration

After the storms and flooding we have experienced in Southern California this week, Urban Land Institute's upcoming webinar on Coastal Resistance is quite timely. "As sea level rise, coastal storms, flooding, erosion, and subsidence increasingly threaten our coastal communities, many land use professionals have been innovating solutions. In this webinar, speakers from design, engineering, and finance backgrounds will feature case studies of coastal resilience strategies in real estate and land use." The webinar is free to ULI members and $10 (public sector/student/under 35) or $20 (private sector) for non-members. #realestate #landuse #coastalresilience #uli #propertyworxLLC

🌊 Marsh restoration in front of seawalls is an economically justified nature-based solution for coastal protection. 🌊 Coastal storms threaten hundreds of millions of people, BUT a new study in Communications Earth & Environment offers a solution: " Restoring salt marshes in front of seawalls reduces construction costs and enhances storm protection. The authors demonstrate that even small marsh areas can provide economic benefits, making restoration efforts both environmentally and financially viable for coastal management ". 📰 News article: https://lnkd.in/e_tjvMp6 and original article here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e3Mt3WTG #coastalstorms #costalmanagement #cost #marshrestoration #seawall

Integrated Catchment Management: Mapping River Corridors will take place on Thursday, 27th of June. This new course focuses on the methodology developed to aid in the delineation of floodplain boundaries using morphological features to identify functional riparian zones to provide the basis for sustainable zoning policies. The many benefits of delineating riparian lands are discussed as well as the process for establishing the preferred assessment methodologies. For more course details and to book your place, visit: https://lnkd.in/eq-Zwew2 #IntegratedCatchmentManagement #MappingRiverCorridors #NatureBasedSolutions

In Civil and coastal engineering, it's important to understand how environmental, human, and biological factors influence coastal hazards. Using this diagram, you can see how different elements like weather patterns, coastal processes, sea level rise, and human activities are connected. Weather patterns, such as hurricanes and storms, can significantly contribute to coastal hazards. Strong winds from hurricanes can cause storm surges, leading to flooding and erosion along the coastline. Additionally, heavy rainfall can lead to increased runoff, further exacerbating the risk of flooding in coastal areas. Sea level rise is another significant factor that contributes to coastal hazards. As sea levels increase, the risk of flooding and erosion becomes greater. The rise in sea level can lead to higher storm surges, which can result in more extensive flooding and damage to coastal infrastructure and ecosystems. Furthermore, the increased water levels can also accelerate the erosion of coastal lands, leading to the loss of beaches and coastal habitats. In order for coastal areas to be resilient or vulnerable, each component plays a big role. coastal management strategies can be better prepared and adapted to mitigate the effects of coastal hazards by studying these connections. 🏖️ #CoastalEngineering #EnvironmentalScience #Sustainability #ClimateChange #coastalhazards #sealevelrise

ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World includes authoritative live feeds and other content that can help you learn more about coastal changes and property loss over time. Here's a helpful guide on how to make your own coastal property-loss map. https://ow.ly/3RhY50THKcE

💡 #Highcitedpaper #@The Pennsylvania State University 🌊 Title: Understanding Effects of Permafrost Degradation and Coastal Erosion on Civil Infrastructure in Arctic Coastal Villages: A Community Survey and Knowledge Co-Production 🔑 Keywords: #permafrostthaw; #coastalerosion; #civilinfrastructure; #communitysurvey; #coproduction of knowledge; #Arctic 🔗 paper link: https://lnkd.in/gWGtkVXZ 📜 Abstract：This paper presents the results of a community survey that was designed to better understand the effects of permafrost degradation and coastal erosion on civil infrastructure. Observations were collected from residents in four Arctic coastal communities: Point Lay, Wainwright, Utqiaġvik, and Kaktovik. All four communities are underlain by continuous ice-rich permafrost with varying degrees of degradation and coastal erosion. The types, locations, and periods of observed permafrost thaw and coastal erosion were elicited. Survey participants also reported the types of civil infrastructure being affected by permafrost degradation and coastal erosion and any damage to residential buildings. Most survey participants reported that coastal erosion has been occurring for a longer period than permafrost thaw. Surface water ponding, ground surface collapse, and differential ground settlement are the three types of changes in ground surface manifested by permafrost degradation that are most frequently reported by the participants, while houses are reported as the most affected type of infrastructure in the Arctic coastal communities. Wall cracking and house tilting are the most commonly reported types of residential building damage. The effects of permafrost degradation and coastal erosion on civil infrastructure vary between communities. Locations of observed permafrost degradation and coastal erosion collected from all survey participants in each community were stacked using heatmap data visualization. The heatmaps constructed using the community survey data are reasonably consistent with modeled data synthesized from the scientific literature. This study shows a useful approach to coproduce knowledge with Arctic residents to identify locations of permafrost thaw and coastal erosion at higher spatial resolution as well as the types of infrastructure damage of most concern to Arctic residents.

Earlier this week, HUESKER North America and Jack Christmas had the fantastic opportunity to represent the use of #Geosynthetics as coastal protection solutions at the SC Beach Advocates Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC.   Geosynthetics have been a game-changer in Coastal Erosion control, engineering new ways to protect and sustain our coastlines. How do they do this? 1️. Erosion Control: Geosynthetics help in stabilizing soil on slopes and shorelines, reducing erosion significantly. 2️. Shoreline Protection: They are used in constructing seawalls, groynes, and other structures to protect shorelines from the relentless forces of waves and tides. 3️. Sustainability: These materials are engineered textiles with ultra-violet protection which are able to withstand the harsh coastal environments. These solutions are often more sustainable compared to traditional construction materials, reducing the environmental footprint of coastal protection measures. 4️. Cost-Effective: Geosynthetics offer a cost-effective solution for long-term coastal management, balancing economic and environmental needs. 🌐 To learn more about our work and how geosynthetics are revolutionizing coastal preservation, visit https://lnkd.in/eAuqMFiy     #BeachAdvocatesConference #CoastalErosion #Geosynthetics #Huesker