Sea-Level Rise in Northern Germany

A GIS-Based Simulation and Visualization

authored by: Caroline Schuldt, Jochen Schiewe, Johannes Kröger
Abstract: The future sea-level rise caused by climate change will lead to coastal regions being flooded and ecological and socio-economic systems being disrupted. This study examines the question of how the sea-level rise in Northern Germany can be simulated on a regional level and visualized as a media map. The simulation is based on the TanDEM-X digital elevation model, IDW interpolated current measurements of the sea level and the vertical land movement, as well as regional sea surface elevation projections for the year 2100. Two different climate scenarios were applied based on IPCC forecasts. Particular attention was paid to transforming elevation systems into orthometric heights. In addition, the uncertainties existing in the simulation of future developments were quantified and visualized. Depending on the applied scenario, an area between 1061 and 9004 km² will be inundated. Accordingly, the affected population varies between 5477 and 626,880 people. The calculation of the inundated areas reveals serious differences; between the various climate scenarios, as well as between the North and Baltic coasts, but above all between the assumption of a stable coastal protection on the one hand and a dike breach on the other. Based on the requirements of journalistic cartography and the specific requirements of the German broadcasting company Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), static maps were developed, which will be shown as a sequence starting with the least and ending with the most severe possible impact.
External Organisation(s): Universität Hamburg
Type: Article
Journal: KN - Journal of Cartography and Geographic Information
Volume: 70
Pages: 145-154
No. of pages: 10
ISSN: 2524-4957
Publication date: 12.2020
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Earth-Surface Processes, Computers in Earth Sciences, Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 13 - Climate Action
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1007/s42489-020-00059-8 (Access: Open)