Download P9.06 Vistool.cdr - CRC for Spatial Information

S PAT I A L LY E N A B L I N G A U S T R A L I A & N E W Z E A L A N D
PROJECT 9.06
| VISTOOL - SEA LEVEL RISE AND COASTAL FLOODING VISUALISATION TOOL
Project Leader
Research Team
P Tickle, CRC for Spatial Information, [email protected]
J Keysers, CRC for Spatial Information, [email protected]
Project Participants
NGIS, Australian Dept of the Environment; Geoscience Australia, ACE CRC, State and Local Government agencies
Background
With around 85% of Australia's population living in the coastal zone, understanding the future risks to infrastructure and property is particularly important to ensure our
towns and cities are positioned to adapt to the changes we are likely to experience. Many of the risks from climate change can be managed if we plan ahead.
Communities and decision-makers need early access to information and data to help understand the potential impacts and manage the risks. Over the 20th century, the
rate of sea level rise globally was about 1.7 mm per year. Since 1993, the rate of sea level rise has been around 3.2mm per year and scientists estimate that sea levels
could rise by up to a meter or more by the end of this century.
Outcomes
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Providing non-specialist users with direct access to products derived from over 80,000sqkm of LiDAR data
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Increasing awareness across all levels of government, business and the community of the potential impacts of sea level rise
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Demonstrating the benefits of ensuring decision-makers, investors and the community have access to the best available information
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A simple tool for analysing, visualising and communicating the risks associated with sea level rise and coastal flooding to assist future planning and management
The VisTool
The VisTool allows users to investigate the extent and depth of coastal
flooding under different climate change scenarios using high resolution digital
elevation models derived from airborne LiDAR, and a ‘bucket-fill’ inundation
modeling approach.
Modelling Contributions to coastal sea level rise
from tides, storm surge and wave processes.
Users can investigate sea level rise, tidal heights and seasonal storm surge up
to a combined total of 10 metres for available locations. This enables users to
investigate nearer term changes, such as low sea level rise scenarios for 2030,
or rarer longer term scenarios, such as the combined effects of long term sea
level rise combined with a 1 in 250 year seasonal storm surge event. Users
can also explore their own scenarios based on local knowledge.
www.vistool.com.au
Using the VisTool Users can select an inundation scenario based
on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth
Assessment Report (2007) and more recent science, or build their
own scenarios.
The Vistool also has the unique ability to account for local
variations in tides through incorporation of a “Virtual Tide Gauge”
model developed by the CRC for Antarctic Climate and
Ecosystems (ACE CRC). The Vistool does a local tidal adjustment
based on the virtual tide gauges within the map screen.
Modelling ‘Bucket-fill’ inundation modelling approach.
Flood Extent Scenario Potential coastal flooding around
Brisbane, showing inundation flood extent associated with
a sea level rise of 0.45 meters, high (A1Fl) scenario for
2070, combined with highest astronomical tide.
VisTool Overview Image shows the extent of data
currently loaded. VisTool is built on the Google Map Engine
Platform which stores the data on the Google Cloud.
Inundation Depth Scenario Potential coastal flooding around
Melbourne, showing inundation depth associated with a sea level
rise of 1.1 meter, combined with a highest astronomical tide.
Limitations
VisTool is intended to provide an initial assessment of the risk
of sea level rise and storm surge to the coastal zone. The
inundation products are based on a simple modelling approach
and should be considered as approximate only. The actual
impacts may vary as this model does not take account of
existing sea walls, erosion or other local factors such as ocean
currents, and does not include consideration of any future
protective action that may be taken.
Map Production Users can produce custom PDF maps on demand
3D Visualisation Inundation layers are available as Web Map
Services for display in Google Earth or other platforms