InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society > Student Materials > Section 2: Introduction to Coastal Zone Hazards: Long and Short-term Processes of Change and Their Impacts on Society > Module 4: Understanding Sea Level Change > University Park ONLY: Formative Assessment: Recognizing Short- & Long-Term Sea Level Change
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Initial Publication Date: December 7, 2016

University Park ONLY: Formative Assessment: Recognizing Short- & Long-Term Sea Level Change

There are two different activities that you can do to help you understand tides and learn about the impact of sea level change on coastal areas in the U.S. As water levels rise, they also move inland to further and further extents which depend on the elevation of the water producing the flooding tide, the nature of the ecosystems present, and the topography of the shoreline being impacted. Understanding why tides rise and fall is critical as is understanding the impact that tides and surges have when they come ashore. The following activities help you visualize and analyze how tides work and the processes, both short-term and long-term, that impact coastlines and coastal communities on daily to yearly basis and in the future.

Visualization 1: Modeling Short-Term Sea Level Change: Tides and Storm Surge

The first tool is a simple, interactive visualization tool to help you watch how tides and other processes can produce sea level change. It is strongly recommended that you visit The Interactive Earth website and change a variety of parameters including tidal characteristics, storm impacts, lunar phase effects, etc., to experience the change for yourself. Below is a screen shot from the website. The Interactive Earth program was developed for the NODE project (NOAA Ocean Data Education).

Visualization 2: Modeling Short- & Long-Term Sea-Level: Storms and Long-Term Sea Level Rise

You have two options for your second visualization (and you may want to look at both of them). Both help you visualize potential changes in long-term sea level, relative to short-term events (i.e., storm surge) determined from real events experienced in various regions. Future sea level projections are based on modeling that you will learn more about in Module 5. The USGS (United States Geological Survey) has produced a tool called "Sea-Level Rise Visualization for Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida". Through this visualization, you can explore the impact of projected sea level rise ranging from 1 ft SLR (1 foot of sea level rise) up to 6 ft SLR relative to the inundation produced by Hurricane Katrina.

The third tool is found at NOAA's Digital Coast website. It can be used to visualize the impact of sea level rise in different areas of the U.S. It works similarly to the USGS visualization but is much more extensive in its focus and coverage.

Other visualization websites have been and/or are being developed around the world. If you find any of these resources, please feel free to share the link information with the instructor so they can be reviewed and if possible made available to other students.

Note: Don't spend too much time on these activities as fun as they are - because later units in the course will ask you to consider impacts on human landscapes, but at least become versed in how you can use these tools for later use.


These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »