This web scene holds the layers for the 3D sea level rise building impact application. Within this scene there are separate groups for each foot of sea level rise on buildings impacts. This scene layer is the scene that connects to the web application viewer for public usage.For more information, please contact: Jose Rodriguez, Karen Grassi, or April Rosier

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the 1930’s and 2002 in the Upper Florida Keys (UFK) from Triumph Reef to Pickles Reef within a 234.2 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Yates and others (2017a) derived from an elevation-change analysis between two elevation datasets acquired in the 1930’s and 2001/2002 using the methods of Yates and others (2017b). Most of the elevation data from the 2001/2002 time period were collected during 2002, so as an abbreviated naming convention, we refer to this time period as 2002. A seafloor stability threshold was determined for the 1930’s-2002 UFK elevation-change dataset based on the vertical uncertainty of the 1930’s historical hydrographic surveys and 2002 digital elevation models (DEMs). Five stability categories (which include, Stable: 0.0 meters (m) to ±0.24 m or 0.0 m to ±0.49 m; Moderately stable: ±0.25 m to ±0.49 m; Moderately unstable: ±0.50 m to ±0.74 m; Mostly unstable: ±0.75 m to ±0.99 m; and Unstable: ±1.00 m to Max/Min elevation change) were created and used to define levels of stability and instability for each elevation-change value (25,982 data points) based on the amount of erosion and accretion during the 1930’s to 2002 time period. Seafloor-stability point and triangulated irregular network (TIN) surface models were created at five different elevation-change data resolutions (1st order through 5th order) with each resolution becoming increasingly more detailed. The stability models were used to determine the level of seafloor stability at potential areas of interest for coral restoration and 13 habitat types found in the UFK. Stability surface (TIN) models were used for areas defined by specific XY geographic points, while stability point models were used for areas defined by bounding box coordinate locations. This data release includes ArcGIS map packages containing the binned and color-coded stability point and surface (TIN) models, potential coral restoration locations, and habitat files; maps of each stability model; and data tables containing stability and elevation-change data for the potential coral restoration locations and habitat types. Data were collected under Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary permit FKNMS-2016-068.

This map/layer/application highlights marsh productivity/vegetation with sea level rise in the panhandle of Florida, including the following counties: Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor. This uses the Hydro-MEM (Hydrodynamic-Marsh Equilibrium Model) (Alizad and others, 2016a; 2016b), the wetlands system within the Apalachicola-Big-Bend (ABB) region of Florida (FL) was assessed using initial and three sea-level rise (SLR) scenarios from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (Sweet and others, 2017). These scenarios are the intermediate-low (int-low) scenario projects 50 centimeters (cm) of SLR by 2100, the intermediate (int) scenario projects 1 meter (m) of SLR by 2100, and the intermediate-high (int-high) scenario projects 1.5 m of SLR by 2100. The Hydro-MEM output includes vegetation, productivity, and migration outputs for 2020, 2040, 2060, 2080, and 2100.These data are associated with the N2E2 project. They are intended for geographic representation and analysis of potential ecosystem service losses due to sea-level rise related stresses under present-day and future scenarios. Data is intended to inform state, regional, and local governments planning coastal habitat conservation, restoration, and assessment.

This dataset was created to represent the land surface elevation at 1:24,000 scale for Florida. The elevation contour lines representing the land surface elevation were digitized from United States Geological survey 1:24,000 (7.5 minute) quadrangles and were compiled by South Florida, South West Florida, St. Johns River and Suwannee River Water Management Districts and FDEP. QA and corrections to the data were supplied by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Florida Geological Survey and the Division of Water Resource Management. This data, representing over 1,000 USGS topographic maps, spans a variety of contour intervals including 1 and 2 meter and 5 and 10 foot. The elevation values have been normalized to feet in the final data layer. Attributes for closed topographic depressions were also captured where closed (hautchered) features were identified and the lowest elevation determined using the closest contour line minus one-half the contour interval. This data was derived from the USGS 1:24,000 topographic map series. The data is more than 20 years old and is likely out-of-date in areas of high human activity.

IMPORTANT IN THE OPEN DATA PORTAL THERE IS ONE FEATURE CLASS FOR ALL POTENTIOMETRIC SURFACE MAPS. IF YOU WANT JUST ONE TIME PERIOD CLICK ON THE TABLE TAB, THEN CLICK ON THE DATE FIELD. IN THE FILTER BOX ON THE RIGHT ENTER THE MAP YOU WANT (MAY 2000, SEPTEMBER 2015, ETC.). WHEN YOU CLICK THE DOWNLOAD DATASET BUTTON SELECT SPREADSHEET OR KML OR SHAPEFILE UNDER THE FILTERED DATASET OPTION. YOU WILL ONLY GET THE FILTERED DATA FROM THIS DOWNLOAD.Contour lines are created for the potentiometric surface of the upper Floridan aquifer from water level data submitted by the water management districts. The points associated with the water level data are added to Geostatistical Analyst and ordinary kriging is used to interpolate water level elevation values between the points. The Geostatistical Analyst layer is then converted to a grid (using GA Layer to grid tool) and then contour lines (using the Contour tool). Post editing is done to smooth the lines and fix areas that are hydrologically incorrect. The rules established for post editing are: 1) rivers intersecting the UFA follow the rule of V’s; 2) potentiometric surface contour line values don’t exceed the topographic digital elevation model (DEM) in unconfined areas; and 3) potentiometric surface contour lines don’t violate valid measured water level data. Errors are usually located where potentiometric highs are adjacent to potentiometric lows (areas where the gradient is high). Expert knowledge or additional information is used to correct the contour lines in these areas. Some additional data may be river stage values in rivers that intersect the Floridan aquifer or land elevation in unconfined areas. Contour lines created prior to May 2012 may be calculated using a different method. The potentiometric surface is only meant to describe water level elevation based on existing data for the time period measured. The contour interval for the statewide map is 10 feet and is not meant to supersede regional (water management district) or local (city) scale potentiometric surface maps.

To generate the land surface grid for this project, VIEWLOG was used to re-sample a 100-ft digital elevation model (DEM) of best-available data for the Lower West Coast planning region of the SFWMD. The original DEM was composited in 2013 from multiple sources. The 100 x 100 foot cell size of the DEM was resampled to a grid size of 2000 x 2000 feet (Liebermann and Bedell, 2013). The vertical datum is NGVD29. The contour interval is in feet.The objectives of this study were to create regional hydrogeologic maps including contour maps showing unit surfaces and thicknesses, and cross-sections representative of both the surficial aquifer system (SAS) and intermediate aquifer system (IAS). The maps, source data, and metadata used to generate these products will be archived in a manner suitable for model implementation and regulatory use in a publically accessible format. The results will be incorporated into the forthcoming Lower West Coast Surficial Aquifer System and Intermediate Aquifer System Model (LWCSIM), which will evaluate the potential impact of existing and projected groundwater withdrawals in all SAS and IAS aquifers within the region over the next several decades.For full documentation, please see Technical Publication WS-35, "Hydrogeologic Unit Mapping Update for the Lower West Coast Water Supply Planning Area," dated August 2015 by Elizabeth Geddes, Emily Richardson P.G., and Anne Dodd P.G. , Water Supply Bureau, Water Resources Division, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, Florida.https://www.sfwmd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ws-35_lwc_hydrogeologic_mapping_083115.pdf

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted research to quantify bathymetric changes along the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) from Miami to Boca Chica Key, Florida. Changes in seafloor elevation were calculated from the 1930s to 2016 using digitized hydrographic sheet sounding data and light detection and ranging (lidar)-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) acquired by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2016 and 2017. Most of the elevation data from the 2016/2017 time period was collected during 2016, and, as an abbreviated naming convention, this time period was referred to as 2016. An elevation change analysis between the 1930s and 2016 data was performed to quantify and map historical impacts to seafloor elevation and to determine elevation-change statistics for 15 habitat types found within the study area along the FRT. Annual elevation-change rates were calculated for each elevation-change data point. Seafloor elevation-change along the FRT was projected 25, 50, 75 and 100 years from 2016 using these historical annual rates of elevation change. Water depth was projected 25, 50, 75 and 100 years from 2016 using historical rates of annual elevation change plus 2016 local sea level rise (SLR) data from NOAA. Data were collected under Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary permit FKNMS-2016-068.

The United States has an average elevation of roughly 2,500 feet (763m) above sea level, however there is a stark contrast in elevations across the country. Highest states Colorado is the highest state in the United States, with an average elevation of 6,800 feet (2,074m) above sea level. The 10 states with the highest average elevation are all in the western region of the country, as this is, by far, the most mountainous region in the country. The largest mountain ranges in the contiguous western states are the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, and Cascade Range, while the Appalachian Mountains is the longest range in the east - however, the highest point in the U.S. is Denali (Mount McKinley), found in Alaska. Lowest states At just 60 feet above sea level, Delaware is the state with the lowest elevation. Delaware is the second smallest state, behind Rhode Island, and is located on the east coast. Larger states with relatively low elevations are found in the southern region of the country - both Florida and Louisiana have an average elevation of just 100 feet (31m) above sea level, and large sections of these states are extremely vulnerable to flooding and rising sea levels, as well as intermittent tropical storms.

The Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) simulates the dominant processes involved in wetland conversions and shoreline modifications during long-term sea level rise. Map distributions of wetlands are predicted under conditions of accelerated sea level rise.

Tidal marshes are among the most susceptible ecosystems to climate change, especially accelerated sea-level rise (SLR). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) suggested that global sea level will increase by approximately 30 cm to 100 cm by 2100 (IPCC 2001). Rahmstorf (2007) suggests that this range may be too conservative and that the feasible range by 2100 is 50 to 140 cm. Rising sea levels may result in tidal marsh submergence (Moorhead and Brinson 1995) and habitat migration as salt marshes transgress landward and replace tidal freshwater and irregularly-flooded marsh (R. A. Park et al. 1991).

The model used the 1/1.5/2 meter of sea-level rise by 2100 scenario and was produced for the Nature Conservancy by Warren Pinnacle Consulting, Inc. The purpose of this series of maps was to show how marshes are predicted to migrate inland due to increases in sea level by 2100. The SLAMM model produced landcover maps for 5 points in time for this specific sea level rise scenario, which included actual landcover maps from either 2004 or 2009 and predicted landcover maps for 2025, 2050, 2075 and 2100 for each project site.

Impacts of Sea-level Rise, Habitat Conservation & Spatial Data Platform Project in Northern Gulf of Mexico

Contact detail for the project: The Nature Conservancy

Jorge Brenner, Ph.D. Associate Director of Marine Science The Nature Conservancy of Texas 205 N. Carrizo St. Corpus Christi, Texas 78401 Phone: (361) 882-3584; ext: 104 Email: jbrenner@tnc.org

These data were created as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management's efforts to create an online mapping viewer called the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer. It depicts potential sea level rise and its associated impacts on the nation's coastal areas. The purpose of the mapping viewer is to provide coastal managers and scientists with a preliminary look at sea level rise and coastal flooding impacts. The viewer is a screening-level tool that uses nationally consistent data sets and analyses. Data and maps provided can be used at several scales to help gauge trends and prioritize actions for different scenarios. The Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer may be accessed at: https://coast.noaa.gov/slr. This metadata record describes the Florida, West 1 digital elevation model (DEM), which is a part of a series of DEMs produced for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management's Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer described above. This DEM includes the best available lidar known to exist at the time of DEM creation that met project specifications. This DEM includes data for Charlotte, Desoto, Glades, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota Counties. The DEM was produced from the following lidar data sets: 1. 2018 Florida Peninsular FDEM - Charlotte 2. 2018 Florida Peninsular FDEM - Desoto 3. 2018 Southwest FL Lidar (A, B, B TL) 4. 2018 Florida Peninsular FDEM - Glades 5. 2019 Florida Peninsular - Hernando 6. 2017 Hillsborough County Florida Lidar 7. 2018 Florida Peninsular FDEM - Manatee 8. 2018 Pasco County Florida Lidar 9. 2018 Florida Peninsular - Pinellas 10. 2018 Florida Peninsular FDEM - Sarasota The DEM is referenced vertically to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) with vertical units of meters and horizontally to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). The resolution of the DEM is approximately 3 meters.

This map/layer/application highlights marsh productivity/vegetation with sea level rise in the panhandle of Florida, including the following counties: Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor. This uses the Hydro-MEM (Hydrodynamic-Marsh Equilibrium Model) (Alizad and others, 2016a; 2016b), the wetlands system within the Apalachicola-Big-Bend (ABB) region of Florida (FL) was assessed using initial and three sea-level rise (SLR) scenarios from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (Sweet and others, 2017). These scenarios are the intermediate-low (int-low) scenario projects 50 centimeters (cm) of SLR by 2100, the intermediate (int) scenario projects 1 meter (m) of SLR by 2100, and the intermediate-high (int-high) scenario projects 1.5 m of SLR by 2100. The Hydro-MEM output includes vegetation, productivity, and migration outputs for 2020, 2040, 2060, 2080, and 2100.These data are associated with the N2E2 project. They are intended for geographic representation and analysis of potential ecosystem service losses due to sea-level rise related stresses under present-day and future scenarios. Data is intended to inform state, regional, and local governments planning coastal habitat conservation, restoration, and assessment.

This digital elevation model (DEM) is a part of a series of DEMs produced for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services Center's Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer (www.csc.noaa.gov/slr/viewer). This metadata record describes the DEM for the Wakulla (eastern portion only), Franklin (eastern portion only), Jefferson, Taylor, Dixie, and Levy Counties. The DEM includes the best available lidar data known to exist at the time of DEM creation for the coastal areas of Wakulla (eastern portion only), Franklin (eastern portion only), Jefferson, Taylor, Dixie, and Levy counties, that met project specification.This DEM is derived from LiDAR collected for the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM). Hydrographic breaklines used in the creation of the DEM were obtained from FDEM and Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). This DEM is hydro flattened such that water elevations are less than or equal to 0 meters.This DEM is referenced vertically to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) with vertical units of meters and horizontally to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). The resolution of the DEM is approximately 5 meters.The NOAA Coastal Services Center has developed high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for use in the Center's Sea Level Rise And Coastal Flooding Impacts internet mapping application. These DEMs serve as source datasets used to derive data to visualize the impacts of inundation resulting from sea level rise along the coastal United States and its territories.The dataset is provided "as is," without warranty to its performance, merchantable state, or fitness for any particular purpose. The entire risk associated with the results and performance of this dataset is assumed by the user. This dataset should be used strictly as a planning reference and not for navigation, permitting, or other legal purposes.

The Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) simulates the dominant processes involved in wetland conversions and shoreline modifications during long-term sea level rise. Map distributions of wetlands are predicted under conditions of accelerated sea level rise.

Tidal marshes are among the most susceptible ecosystems to climate change, especially accelerated sea-level rise (SLR). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) suggested that global sea level will increase by approximately 30 cm to 100 cm by 2100 (IPCC 2001). Rahmstorf (2007) suggests that this range may be too conservative and that the feasible range by 2100 is 50 to 140 cm. Rising sea levels may result in tidal marsh submergence (Moorhead and Brinson 1995) and habitat migration as salt marshes transgress landward and replace tidal freshwater and irregularly-flooded marsh (R. A. Park et al. 1991).

The model used the 1/1.5/2 meter of sea-level rise by 2100 scenario and was produced for the Nature Conservancy by Warren Pinnacle Consulting, Inc. The purpose of this series of maps was to show how marshes are predicted to migrate inland due to increases in sea level by 2100. The SLAMM model produced landcover maps for 5 points in time for this specific sea level rise scenario, which included actual landcover maps from either 2004 or 2009 and predicted landcover maps for 2025, 2050, 2075 and 2100 for each project site.

Impacts of Sea-level Rise, Habitat Conservation & Spatial Data Platform Project in Northern Gulf of Mexico

Contact detail for the project: The Nature Conservancy

Jorge Brenner, Ph.D. Associate Director of Marine Science The Nature Conservancy of Texas 205 N. Carrizo St. Corpus Christi, Texas 78401 Phone: (361) 882-3584; ext: 104 Email: jbrenner@tnc.org

This map identifies areas near, or hydrologically connected to, tidal water bodies at increased risk of inundation under a 3.3-foot sea level rise scenario, projected to occur as soon as 2070. This map was produced by Broward County staff and represents the elevation of mean higher high water in 2070 based on the 2019 Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Unified Sea Level Rise Projection and 2007 LiDAR digital elevation model. The Priority Planning Areas are limited to the coastal communities with land east of the SFWMD's salinity control structures. A 40-inch sea level rise scenario projected from Mean Higher High Water (MHHW) at South Port Everglades tide station is equivalent to an elevation of 3.86 feet NAVD88. The feature class is a representation of this 40-inch sea level rise scenario on the 2007 LiDAR, with a pixel resolution of 50 feet. This map is used as the basis for assessing future flood risk as a function of land elevation and coastal water levels and thus aids in informing adaptation needs in the context of land use considerations. Areas within the PPA are most directly affected by the influence of sea level rise on surface flooding and groundwater levels; these impacts are most pronounced in coastal areas seaward of salinity control structures.

This digital elevation model (DEM) is a part of a series of DEMs produced for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services Center's Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer (www.csc.noaa.gov/slr/viewer). This metadata record describes the DEM for Mobile County in Alabama and Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa (southern coastal portion only) Counties in Florida. The DEM includes the best available lidar data known to exist at the time of DEM creation for the coastal areas of Mobile County in Alabama and Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa (portion) counties in Florida, that met project specification.This DEM is derived from the USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED), US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) LiDAR data, as well as LiDAR collected for the Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) and the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM). NED and USACE data were used only in Mobile County, AL. NWFWMD or FDEM data were used in all other areas. Hydrographic breaklines used in the creation of the DEM were obtained from FDEM and Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). This DEM is hydro flattened such that water elevations are less than or equal to 0 meters.This DEM is referenced vertically to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) with vertical units of meters and horizontally to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). The resolution of the DEM is approximately 5 meters. This DEM does not include licensed data (Baldwin County, Alabama) that is unavailable for distribution to the general public. As such, the extent of this DEM is different than that of the DEM used by the NOAA Coastal Services Center in creating the inundation data seen in the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Impacts Viewer (www.csc.noaa.gov/slr/viewer).The NOAA Coastal Services Center has developed high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for use in the Center's Sea Level Rise And Coastal Flooding Impacts internet mapping application. These DEMs serve as source datasets used to derive data to visualize the impacts of inundation resulting from sea level rise along the coastal United States and its territories.The dataset is provided "as is," without warranty to its performance, merchantable state, or fitness for any particular purpose. The entire risk associated with the results and performance of this dataset is assumed by the user. This dataset should be used strictly as a planning reference and not for navigation, permitting, or other legal purposes.

The High Accuracy Elevation Data Project collected elevation data (meters) on a 400 meter topographic grid with a vertical accuracy of +/- 15 centimeters to define the topography in South Florida. The data are referenced to the horizontal datum North American Datum 1983 (NAD 83) and the vertical datum North American Vertical Datum 1988 (NAVD 88). In some areas, the surveying was accomplished using airboats. Because access was a logistical problem with airboats, the USGS developed a helicopter-based instrument known as the Airborne Height Finder (AHF). All subsequent data collection used the AHF. Data were collected from the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, south through the Water Conservation Areas (1A, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B), Big Cypress National Park, the Everglades National Park, to the Florida Bay. The data are available for the areas shown on the USGS High Accuracy Elevation Data graphic at http://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/desmond/desmondelev.html . The work was performed for Everglades ecosystem restoration purposes.

 The data are from regional topographic surveys to collect and provide elevation data to parameterize hydrologic and ecological numerical simulation models that are being developed for ecosystem restoration activities. Surveying services were also rendered to provide vertical reference points for numerous water level gauges. Modeling of sheet flow and water surface levels in the wetlands of South Florida is very sensitive to changes in elevation due to the expansive and extremely low relief terrain. Hydrologists determined minimum vertical accuracy requirements for the elevation data for use as input to hydrologic models. As a result, elevation data with a vertical accuracy specification of +/-15 centimeters (cm) relative to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) were collected in critical areas using state-of-the-art differential global positioning system (GPS) technology and data processing techniques.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted research to identify areas of seafloor elevation stability and instability based on elevation changes between the years of 2016 and 2019 along the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) from Miami to Key West within a 939.4 square-kilometer area. USGS SPCMSC staff used seafloor elevation-change data from Fehr and others (2021) derived from an elevation-change analysis between two elevation datasets acquired in 2016/2017 and 2019 using the methods of Yates and others (2017). Most of the elevation data from the 2016/2017 time period were collected during 2016, so as an abbreviated naming convention, we refer to this time period as 2016. Due to file size limitations, the elevation-change data was divided into five blocks. A seafloor stability threshold was determined for the 2016-2019 FRT elevation-change datasets based on the vertical uncertainty of the 2016 and 2019 digital elevation models (DEMs). Five stability categories (which include, Stable: 0.0 meters (m) to ±0.24 m or 0.0 m to ±0.49 m; Moderately stable: ±0.25 m to ±0.49 m; Moderately unstable: ±0.50 m to ±0.74 m; Mostly unstable: ±0.75 m to ±0.99 m; and Unstable: ±1.00 m to Max/Min elevation change) were created and used to define levels of stability and instability for each elevation-change value (total of 235,153,117 data points at 2-m horizontal resolution) based on the amount of erosion and accretion during the 2016 to 2019 time period. Seafloor-stability point and triangulated irregular network (TIN) surface models were created for each block at five different elevation-change data resolutions (1st order through 5th order) with each resolution becoming increasingly more detailed. The stability models were used to determine the level of seafloor stability at potential areas of interest for coral restoration and 14 habitat types found along the FRT. Stability surface (TIN) models were used for areas defined by specific XY geographic points, while stability point models were used for areas defined by bounding box coordinate locations. This data release includes ArcGIS Pro map packages containing the binned and color-coded stability point and surface (TIN) models, potential coral restoration locations, and habitat files for each block; maps of each stability model; and data tables containing stability and elevation-change data for the potential coral restoration locations and habitat types. Data were collected under Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary permit FKNMS-2016-068. Coral restoration locations were provided by Mote Marine Laboratory under Special Activity License SAL-18-1724-SCRP.

The AHF system has been deployed in a series of survey campaigns to collect over 60,000 points covering Everglades National Park, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Water Conservation Areas 2 and 3, portions of Big Cypress National Preserve, as well as areas along the Lake Okeechobee littoral zone. Since the AHF System is able to penetrate Everglades vegetation and water cover, it has provided an unprecedented regional view of Everglades topographic gradients and sub-water surface structure. These data are now being used to simulate Everglades water flow with higher resolution and greater accuracy, to estimate water depths in real-time for field study planning, and as input for habitat models used to forecast the effects of water level changes on various important species. The elevation data collected through this project also formed the basic input to generate a regional topographic surface that is the basis for the Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN). These high accuracy elevation data are made available to anyone through the South Florida Information Access website (http://sofia.usgs.gov) data exchange pages.

MAP Activity Accomplishment The USGS Airborne Height Finder (AHF) System was used to perform topographic surveys in Water Conservation Area 3A within the extents of the Lone Palm Head and North of Lone Palm Head 7.5-minute topographic map quadrangles as specified in the MAP/COE Interagency Agreement. The AHF system has been used throughout South Florida for elevation data collection because traditional surveying methods are too difficult, too costly, or simply impossible to use in the harsh wetland environment and broadly inaccessible terrain of the Florida Everglades. This is especially true considering the shear size of the hydrodynamic and biological modeling domains. The AHF is a helicopter-based instrument that uses a GPS receiver, a computer, and a mechanized plumb bob to make measurements. These data were post processed to the reference stations that are part of the AHF geodetic control network. For reasons of accuracy, these reference stations are located no more then 15 kilometers from the helicopter during AHF operations. The GPS data were post processed using Ashtech’s PNAV On The Fly (OTF) software to obtain the trajectory of the AHF platform. These results are then processed through an in-house software package that separates the actual survey points and results from the trajectory. The points are manually checked to ensure data accuracy and completeness. Digital elevation models (DEMs) were then generated from the elevation point data. Existing elevation data derived from LiDAR data for this area were replaced with AHF derived DEMs for reasons of vertical accuracy. The DEMs have been posted on the South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) website: http://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/desmond/desmondelev.html.

One of the most apparent effects of climate-change is sea-level rise. Analyses of mean sea elevation and topography can produce maps of shoreline changes, but the climatic fluctuations and structural operations superimposed on the sea-level rise create dynamic and temporal effects. In order to study scenarios related to sea-level rise in south Florida, we propose the use of currently developed dynamic models of surface-water/ground-water flow to simulate varying levels of mean tidal-level increase with tidal and atmospheric fluctuations. The changes in inundation hydroperiod, salinity in urban and natural areas, and aquifer salinity intrusion can all be simulated in the Flow and Transport in a Linked Overland/Aquifer Density-Dependent System (FTLOADDS) model. Due to the model capability for simulating dynamic events for a multi-year timescale, the simulations will provide more information than map-based approaches. FTLOADDS is a combination of two pre-existing codes, namely, the SWIFT2D two-dimensional hydrodynamic surface-water model code and the SEAWAT three-dimensional ground-water model code (Langevin and others, 2005). SWIFT2D computes vertically-integrated flow by solving the St. Venant equations in two dimensions. Additionally, SWIFT2D computes reactive constituent transport, density variations effects, drying and rewetting of periodically inundated areas, and hydraulic structures (Schaffranek 2004). SEAWAT is a combination of the commonly used ground-water model code MODFLOW and the solute-transport code MT3DMS (Guo and Langevin 2002). FTLOADDS therefore has the ability to simulate salinity transport in two dimensions for surface water and three dimensions for ground water. SWIFT2D and SEAWAT operate independently within FTLOADDS, with the exception of the leakage and salinity fluxes passed between the surface water and ground water. FTLOADDS has been enhanced to represent heat-transport in the surface water linked to evapotranspiration effects (Swain and Decker, 2008). Applications of FTLOADDS to southern Florida coastal areas provide a comprehensive framework for predicting hydrologic changes (Swain and others, 2003). Applications in the area include: 1) The Tides and Inflows in the Mangrove Everglades (TIME) application in the Everglades National Park area (Wang and others, 2007); 2) The Ten-Thousand Islands (TTI) application between Everglades National Park and Naples; and 3) The Biscayne application from Biscayne Bay inland to the L-31N levee. The model-domain locations are shown in figure 1. The TIME application is used to evaluate CERP restoration scenarios by using output from the SFWMD regional 2x2 model and the TTI application yield information on manatee habitats. The TIME and Biscayne applications have been combined to produce the BIscayne/South-East Coastal Transport (BISECT) application. This tool has been used to develop a series of hindcast and futurecast simulations that can be used to examine landscape and topography changes, sea-level rise effects, precipitation changes, and ternperature changes. The modeling application to the Ten Thousand Islands (TTI) area required a smaller-scale application to the Port of the Islands marina that can represent vertical stratification in salinity and temperature. The Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) was applied for this purpose and used boundary conditions from the TTI model to represent existing and restoration conditions. The implementation of heat-transport in a wetland environment requires a number of heat-budget parameters that have not been well defined for the South Florida environment such as soil heat storage and albedo. Physical experiments are required to define these factors and improve the numerical model.

The coastal vulnerability index (CVI)provides a preliminary overview, at a National scale, of the relative susceptibility of the Nation's coast to sea-level rise. This initial classification is based upon variables including geomorphology, regional coastal slope, tide range, wave height, relative sea-level rise, and shoreline erosion and accretion rates. The combination of these variables and the association of these variables to each other furnish a broad overview of coastal regions where physical changes are likely to occur due to sea-level rise.

To make this coastal vulnerability index data more accessible to the public and other agencies, the USGS created this web service. This web service was created utilizing ESRI ArcServer. Vector layers were collected, organized by the coastal regions of the U.S., U.S. Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico Coasts, and symbology made consistent among similar data sets. This service meets open geospatial consortium standards.

The geographic information system (GIS) data layers from this web service are cataloged by region for ease of access.