Summary

Description

A coastal change potential (CPI) was used to map the relative change potential of the coast to sea-level change within Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. The CPI ranks the following in terms of their physical contribution to sea-level rise-related coastal change: geomorphology, regional coastal slope, rate of relative sea-level change, historical shoreline change rates, mean tidal range and mean significant wave height. The rankings for each input variable were combined and an index value calculated for 1-minute grid cells covering the park. The CPI highlights those regions where the physical effects of sea-level rise might be the greatest. This approach combines the coastal system's susceptibility to change with its natural ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, yielding a quantitative, although relative, measure of the park's natural change potential to the effects of sea-level change. The CPI and the data contained within this dataset provide an objective technique for evaluation and long-term planning by scientists and park managers.