Articles | Volume 15, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-61-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-61-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
30 Jan 2019
Research article |
| 30 Jan 2019
| 30 Jan 2019
Measuring rates of present-day relative sea-level rise in low-elevation coastal zones: a critical evaluation
Molly E. Keogh
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Tulane University, 6823 St.
Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118-5698, USA
Torbjörn E. Törnqvist
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Tulane University, 6823 St.
Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118-5698, USA
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Cited
49 citations as recorded by crossref.
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- Houston GNSS Network for Subsidence and Faulting Monitoring: Data Analysis Methods and Products G. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)SU.1943-5428.0000399
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- Novel Integration of Geodetic and Geologic Methods for High‐Resolution Monitoring of Subsidence in the Mississippi Delta M. Zumberge et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006718
- Downstream implications of large river diversions on thermal fish habitats in the coastal zone M. Shah & R. Miller https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107959
- Measuring, modelling and projecting coastal land subsidence M. Shirzaei et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-00115-x
- Novel Quantification of Shallow Sediment Compaction by GPS Interferometric Reflectometry and Implications for Flood Susceptibility M. Karegar et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087807
- Ocean mass, sterodynamic effects, and vertical land motion largely explain US coast relative sea level rise T. Harvey et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00300-w
- Sea level rise projections up to 2150 in the northern Mediterranean coasts A. Vecchio et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad127e
- Resilience of River Deltas in the Anthropocene A. Hoitink et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005201
- Field‐Based Estimate of the Sediment Deficit in Coastal Louisiana K. Sanks et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005389
- Drivers of Elevation Change in a Retreating Coastal Forest T. Messerschmidt et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-025-01624-y
- GOM20: A Stable Geodetic Reference Frame for Subsidence, Faulting, and Sea-Level Rise Studies along the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico G. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030350
- Variable vertical land motion and its impacts on sea level rise projections M. Govorcin et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads8163
- Measuring and Interpreting the Surface and Shallow Subsurface Process Influences on Coastal Wetland Elevation: A Review D. Cahoon https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01332-z
- Uncertainty analysis of potential population exposure within the coastal lowlands of mainland China F. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad059d
- Global-scale human impact on delta morphology has led to net land area gain J. Nienhuis et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1905-9
- A methodology for long-term offshore structural health monitoring using stand-alone GNSS: case study in the Gulf of Mexico G. Wang https://doi.org/10.1177/14759217231169934
- Usable Science for Managing the Risks of Sea‐Level Rise R. Kopp et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF001145
- Gaining or losing ground? Tracking Asia's hunger for ‘new’ coastal land in the era of sea level rise D. Sengupta et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139290
- Hidden vulnerability of US Atlantic coast to sea-level rise due to vertical land motion L. Ohenhen et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37853-7
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- Delta-X: An airborne remote sensing framework to calibrate hydrodynamic and ecogeomorphic processes responsible for land building in coastal deltas M. Simard et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2025.115201
- Coastal Wetland Resilience, Accelerated Sea‐Level Rise, and the Importance of Timescale T. Törnqvist et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020AV000334
- Modeling the Role of Compaction in the Three‐Dimensional Evolution of Depositional Environments R. Xotta et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006590
- Changes to Subaqueous Delta Bathymetry Following a High River Flow Event, Wax Lake Delta, USA A. Whaling & J. Shaw https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00727-y
- What is coastal subsidence? T. Törnqvist & M. Blum https://doi.org/10.1017/cft.2024.1
- Intertidal wetland vegetation dynamics under rising sea levels D. Rayner et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144237
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- Enhanced mud retention as an autogenic mechanism for sustained delta growth: Insight from records of the Lafourche subdelta of the Mississippi River M. Kim et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.13230
- Variable contributions of vertical land motion to sea-level change inferred at tide gauges S. Dangendorf et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-026-02005-1
- Synthesis of the distribution of subsidence of the lower Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, Bangladesh M. Steckler et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103887
- Climate change and human influences on sediment fluxes and the sediment budget of an urban delta: the example of the lower Rhine—Meuse delta distributary network J. Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.1139/anc-2021-0003
- Recent subsidence rates for Barataria Basin, Louisiana M. Byrnes et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-019-00573-3
- Elevation Dynamics Between Polders and the Natural Sundarbans of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta Plain S. Akter et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01349-4
- Progress and future directions in constraining uncertainties in sea-level projections using observations D. Felikson et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02437-4
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- Losing Louisiana: risk assessment for archaeological mitigation of coastal land loss D. Watt et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/0734578X.2026.2614200
- Integrating geochronologic and instrumental approaches across the Bengal Basin E. Chamberlain et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4687
- Salinification of Coastal Wetlands and Freshwater Management to Support Resilience B. Middleton & J. Boudell https://doi.org/10.34133/ehs.0083
- RETRACTED: A systematic review on climate change and geo‐environmental factors induced land degradation: Processes, policy‐practice gap and its management strategies P. Roy et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/gj.4649
- Vertical land motion in Greater New Orleans: Insights into underlying drivers and impact to flood protection infrastructure S. Fiaschi et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt5046
- Evaluating InSAR-derived rates of surface-elevation change along the central U.S. Gulf Coast G. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/eo-1-1-2026
- Does Load‐Induced Shallow Subsidence Inhibit Delta Growth? E. Chamberlain et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006153
49 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Lessons learned from 30-years of operation of the Caernarvon Freshwater Diversion, Louisiana USA T. Henkel et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106782
- Houston GNSS Network for Subsidence and Faulting Monitoring: Data Analysis Methods and Products G. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)SU.1943-5428.0000399
- Deciphering Relative Sea-Level Change in Chesapeake Bay: Impact of Global Mean, Regional Variation, and Local Land Subsidence, Part 2: Results X. Zhou & Y. Liu https://doi.org/10.3390/w17223235
- Novel Integration of Geodetic and Geologic Methods for High‐Resolution Monitoring of Subsidence in the Mississippi Delta M. Zumberge et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006718
- Downstream implications of large river diversions on thermal fish habitats in the coastal zone M. Shah & R. Miller https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107959
- Measuring, modelling and projecting coastal land subsidence M. Shirzaei et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-00115-x
- Novel Quantification of Shallow Sediment Compaction by GPS Interferometric Reflectometry and Implications for Flood Susceptibility M. Karegar et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087807
- Ocean mass, sterodynamic effects, and vertical land motion largely explain US coast relative sea level rise T. Harvey et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00300-w
- Sea level rise projections up to 2150 in the northern Mediterranean coasts A. Vecchio et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad127e
- Resilience of River Deltas in the Anthropocene A. Hoitink et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005201
- Field‐Based Estimate of the Sediment Deficit in Coastal Louisiana K. Sanks et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005389
- Drivers of Elevation Change in a Retreating Coastal Forest T. Messerschmidt et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-025-01624-y
- GOM20: A Stable Geodetic Reference Frame for Subsidence, Faulting, and Sea-Level Rise Studies along the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico G. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030350
- Variable vertical land motion and its impacts on sea level rise projections M. Govorcin et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads8163
- Measuring and Interpreting the Surface and Shallow Subsurface Process Influences on Coastal Wetland Elevation: A Review D. Cahoon https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01332-z
- Uncertainty analysis of potential population exposure within the coastal lowlands of mainland China F. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad059d
- Global-scale human impact on delta morphology has led to net land area gain J. Nienhuis et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1905-9
- A methodology for long-term offshore structural health monitoring using stand-alone GNSS: case study in the Gulf of Mexico G. Wang https://doi.org/10.1177/14759217231169934
- Usable Science for Managing the Risks of Sea‐Level Rise R. Kopp et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF001145
- Gaining or losing ground? Tracking Asia's hunger for ‘new’ coastal land in the era of sea level rise D. Sengupta et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139290
- Hidden vulnerability of US Atlantic coast to sea-level rise due to vertical land motion L. Ohenhen et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37853-7
- Soil Structure and Its Relationship to Shallow Soil Subsidence in Coastal Wetlands Y. Xiong et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-019-00659-2
- Delta-X: An airborne remote sensing framework to calibrate hydrodynamic and ecogeomorphic processes responsible for land building in coastal deltas M. Simard et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2025.115201
- Coastal Wetland Resilience, Accelerated Sea‐Level Rise, and the Importance of Timescale T. Törnqvist et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020AV000334
- Modeling the Role of Compaction in the Three‐Dimensional Evolution of Depositional Environments R. Xotta et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006590
- Changes to Subaqueous Delta Bathymetry Following a High River Flow Event, Wax Lake Delta, USA A. Whaling & J. Shaw https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00727-y
- What is coastal subsidence? T. Törnqvist & M. Blum https://doi.org/10.1017/cft.2024.1
- Intertidal wetland vegetation dynamics under rising sea levels D. Rayner et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144237
- Projections of Global Delta Land Loss From Sea‐Level Rise in the 21st Century J. Nienhuis & R. van de Wal https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL093368
- River Deltas and Sea-Level Rise J. Nienhuis et al. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-031621-093732
- Sea-level rise enhances carbon accumulation in United States tidal wetlands E. Herbert et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.02.011
- Enhanced mud retention as an autogenic mechanism for sustained delta growth: Insight from records of the Lafourche subdelta of the Mississippi River M. Kim et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.13230
- Variable contributions of vertical land motion to sea-level change inferred at tide gauges S. Dangendorf et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-026-02005-1
- Synthesis of the distribution of subsidence of the lower Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, Bangladesh M. Steckler et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103887
- Climate change and human influences on sediment fluxes and the sediment budget of an urban delta: the example of the lower Rhine—Meuse delta distributary network J. Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.1139/anc-2021-0003
- Recent subsidence rates for Barataria Basin, Louisiana M. Byrnes et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-019-00573-3
- Elevation Dynamics Between Polders and the Natural Sundarbans of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta Plain S. Akter et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01349-4
- Progress and future directions in constraining uncertainties in sea-level projections using observations D. Felikson et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02437-4
- Organic Matter Accretion, Shallow Subsidence, and River Delta Sustainability M. Keogh et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006231
- Last Interglacial sea-level data points from Northwest Europe K. Cohen et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2895-2022
- Optimized GNSS Cal/Val Site Selection for Expanding InSAR Viability in Areas With Low Phase Coherence: A Case Study for Southern Louisiana B. Varugu et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2024.3361800
- Creep-induced subsidence along coastal Louisiana with GPS measurements and finite element modeling G. Voyiadjis et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoen.2024.212840
- Losing Louisiana: risk assessment for archaeological mitigation of coastal land loss D. Watt et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/0734578X.2026.2614200
- Integrating geochronologic and instrumental approaches across the Bengal Basin E. Chamberlain et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4687
- Salinification of Coastal Wetlands and Freshwater Management to Support Resilience B. Middleton & J. Boudell https://doi.org/10.34133/ehs.0083
- RETRACTED: A systematic review on climate change and geo‐environmental factors induced land degradation: Processes, policy‐practice gap and its management strategies P. Roy et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/gj.4649
- Vertical land motion in Greater New Orleans: Insights into underlying drivers and impact to flood protection infrastructure S. Fiaschi et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt5046
- Evaluating InSAR-derived rates of surface-elevation change along the central U.S. Gulf Coast G. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/eo-1-1-2026
- Does Load‐Induced Shallow Subsidence Inhibit Delta Growth? E. Chamberlain et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006153
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 09 Jun 2026
Short summary
Relative sea-level rise is traditionally measured with tide gauges, but we question the reliability of tide-gauge data in low-elevation coastal zones. Benchmark data show that tide gauges typically do not record subsidence in the shallow subsurface and thus underestimate rates of relative sea-level rise. We present an alternative method of measuring relative sea-level rise and conclude that low-elevation coastal zones may be at higher risk of flooding than previously assumed.
Relative sea-level rise is traditionally measured with tide gauges, but we question the...
