$900,000 Department of Defense award will assess impact of sinking land on military installations
A car drives through a flooded road.
Sinking land is overlooked as a global hazard in coastal areas, and rapidly rising sea levels increase coastal exposure and vulnerability to flooding, erosion and infrastructure failure.
To help the U.S. military gauge its exposure and vulnerability, the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $3.2 million contract to a consortium of four universities — Virginia Tech, Tulane, University of Central Florida, and California Polytechnic State University — to evaluate dangers from sinking land and rising seas for the more than 1,800 military installations across the globe.
Climate change-driven hazards such as sea level rise present a national security concern, potentially affecting military missions, operational plans, and installations.
“Land sinking is a global issue," said Manoochehr Shirzaei, whose recent satellite-based research illuminated the escalating risk of sinking land along the U.S. coasts. “Without integrating this phenomenon into adaptation and resilience strategies, the Defense Department’s coastal installations are significantly vulnerable to coastal hazards in the coming decades.”
In this project, the Earth Observation and Innovation Lab of Virginia Tech team will leverage radar satellite technology to provide precise measurements of land sinking at military installations.
“We’re creating access to actionable data globally that will help the Defense Department become resilient when it comes to national and environmental security,” Shirzaei said. “The data we’re providing, we’re making it more than just open access, we’re making it usable by all department personnel and stakeholders."
Understanding, predicting, and addressing coastal hazards from land sinking and sea level rise require a multifaceted approach integrating technology, research, and proactive intervention, Shirzaei said
“The Defense Department selected our team because we approach this problem with a wide range of expertise,” Shirzaei said. “Although the research outcome will be customized to meet the specific needs of the military, the methodology we create can be used by civilians to develop climate resilience and adaptation plans.”
