Construction and Destruction of Coastal Zones in our Changing Environment

Explore the complex dynamics of coastal zone evolution in this 57-minute lecture by Dr. David Mohrig from UT Austin's Jackson School of Geosciences. Examine how low-relief coastal zones, which host a disproportionate fraction of Earth's human population and critical infrastructure, respond sensitively to both anthropogenic and natural environmental changes. Learn about two critical factors affecting coastal landscapes: sea-level rise and land-surface subsidence, with particular emphasis on recent advances in measuring subsidence and understanding the unexpected persistence of accelerated subsidence following subsurface pore fluid extraction. Discover how channel networks and their evolution largely determine the patterns and timescales of landscape development within coastal zones by controlling sediment deposition and erosion processes. Analyze two distinct styles of sediment-routing conduits: channel networks within coastal drainage basins and washover/washout channels created by storm surge movements. Gain insights into interpreting long-term coastal system development and assessing flood risks in vulnerable coastal zones facing combined threats from coastal, riverine, and pluvial flooding events.