ODU's Hans-Peter Plag Delivers Two Sea Level Rise Talks in Hampton
April 06, 2015
Hans-Peter Plag (Courtesy: David Bowman, NASA Langley Research Center)
Hans-Peter Plag, director of the Mitigation and Adaptation Research Institute (MARI) at Old Dominion University, delivers two sea level rise-related talks in Hampton on Tuesday, April 7.
Plag, professor of ocean, earth and atmospheric sciences at ODU, delivered the monthly colloquium lecture at NASA's Langley Research Center, "Adaptation to sea level rise: Protecting against, or preparing for, inundation of the coastal zone?" in the Pearl Young Theater at NASA Langley.
In his talk, Plag proposed the onset of major changes in how we think about the future of coastal zones due to the projected rise in sea levels.
On Tuesday evening, Plag presented a similar program for the general public at the Virginia Air & Space Center, in downtown Hampton.
Plag's areas of expertise include sea level and climate change, disaster risk reduction, sustainability and Earth system dynamics. In his talks, Plag will note that sea levels have been exceptionally stable during the last 6,000 years, allowing humanity to develop large settlements in coastal zones throughout the world.
The projected changes point to a sea level rise during the next few centuries that will far exceed those experienced by past civilizations. This rise will usher in major coastline changes with few options for protecting large areas of the zone.
The colloquium lectures at NASA Langley provides monthly discussions and demonstrations related to science and technology. These lectures are intended to stimulate the creative processes of Langley employees, and enhance the quality of life at Langley by providing opportunities for learning. These lectures are open to NASA employees, NASA contractors and other invited guests.
Old Dominion's Mitigation and Adaptation Research Institute engages in research that produces the practice-relevant knowledge needed to cope with impacts of climate change and sea level rise on the coastal zone and the urban coast in particular. In doing so, MARI responds to the knowledge needs of a wide range of community stakeholders, including government, military, the private sector and citizens.