Land is Sinking in the Maritimes and Southern Newfoundland

Relative sea level has been rising in the Maritimes over the past century, mainly because of localized sinking of the earth’s crust. Records across the Maritimes show a sea level rise trend of 21 to 47 cm per century, depending on location.

The rise rate in the Maritimes is fairly high over the past four thousand years, according to sedimentary evidence.6 If this sinking trend continues, and global sea level rise from the Greenhouse Effect occurs as projected, these two processes combined could cause an 80 cm relative sea level rise in the Maritimes and Southern Newfoundland by 2100.

Impacts of Climate Induced Sea-Level Rise

The rate of erosion of cliffs and beaches would be increased, on average, by sea level rise. A rise in sea level allows wave energy to be directed higher up the shore, and thus increases the rate of coastal erosion.

Furthermore, if storm intensity also increases with climate change, this would further enhance erosion rates. In addition, ice cover helps protect the coastline from the full force of winter storms by damping the waves. If ice cover decreases during the winter season, the shoreline will be exposed to more wave energy, and even more erosion.

Our Vulnerability to Extreme Events

It can not be said that any one particular storm is caused by global climate change. However, there are numerous examples of extreme weather that will likely become more common with a changing climate. Extreme weather can result in significant loss of life, as well as economic loss.

4 images from Weather CD, Nelson Science 10 (AQ, Hurricanes, Extreme Events Weather, Weather Dynamics CD: Truro flood (April 2003); Halifax Hurricane Juan (Sept 2003); Trans-Labrador Snow-storm (March 2003)

For example, with the extreme ice storm in Quebec in 1998 more than 2.6 million people (19 per cent of Canada's labour force) had difficulty getting to work, or couldn't get to work at all as a result of the storm. Close to 1.4 million Quebec customers, and over 230,000 Ontario residents and businesses were without electricity for weeks. Over 1,000 transmission towers and 30,000 wooden utility poles were downed. Furthermore, there was over $1 Billion in Insurance Claims.