Week 8: Awareness Plans

Welcome back to week 8, and this week we will be getting ready to analyze some data trends and models. 

Finding a specific model to emulate is difficult because scientists argue whether ocean level patterns are accelerating or decelerating. But why do we even measure trends in sea levels? We can pinpoint it to around three reasons, being that they help us detect climate change, predict any future movements, and calibrate other rates like glacier and ice sheet melting. We use trends in almost everything from economics to financial analysis, so we can use it here too. I have been analyzing NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) tidal datums, which are the official vertical reference points for the nation’s coasts, from the NWLON (National Water Level Observation Network) because they are the benchmarks for local water height/depth starting points. The data is maintained by CO-OPS oceanographers and is the legal basis for shoreline determination, so I believe this will be the basis for my data analysis. It is much simpler to select a time, such as the year 2000, to see the changes up to our present and analyze the data more closely. Next week, I will be discussing more about this and providing some of the images that I have observed. 

The average water level has indeed risen, and these are only two charts highlighting the gap of only 24 years. Even if it seems like a small increase, it can result in devastating consequences, and these will have great impact as I have mentioned before. That is why it is important to continue monitoring and assessing these small rises and fluctuations as sea water expands.

I have also begun implementing physical terrain from google earth and surrounding images to create a virtual model of the site. These details are important as they will better demonstrate the area around and visualize the effects. To do this I will have to install another app, Cesium for Unreal, which helps import photorealistic 3D tiles into the software. 

While I intend to make a presentation based on my paper, I will be incorporating a few other key aspects, such as a short video and survey analysis towards the end. I will be meeting with my internal advisor to practice, as well as going to workshops at school to gain more insight on my presentation skills. Ultimately, the purpose of this project is to spread awareness and raise caution to the threat of rising ocean levels, but that all starts when we take action as soon as we can. Even normal individuals can do this, but the first step is always to be informed and gain insight from local sources. To do this, I am making a youtube video, but I would also like to contact a local radio station that I interned at in order to perhaps gain a brief shoutout or message about the impact of rising ocean levels. 

Sources:

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2015JC010716

https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/waterlevels.html?id=9414290&units=standard&bdate=20240301&edate=20240330&timezone=GMT&datum=MLLW&interval=h&action=