Impact Assessment of Current and Future Sea-Level Change on Coastal Archaeological Resources—Illustrated Examples From Northern Newfoundland

Abstract

Coastal archaeological heritage is potentially vulnerable to increased erosion resulting from predicted future sea-level rise and increased storminess. As all sites cannot be protected, it is essential that heritage managers know which sites and landscapes are most at risk so they can prioritize resources and decision-making most effectively. One method of doing so is through desk-based modeling of coastal vulnerability. This article outlines the advantages and limitations of such an approach and demonstrates the application of a desk-based model to case studies from Newfoundland's coast. The rate of future sea-level rise around Newfoundland is complicated by its glacio-isostatic recovery since the 351 Kieran Westley et al.last ice age. The first step therefore in this assessment is to combine output from glacio-isostatic adjustment models with appropriate rates of global eustatic sea-level rise. Next, these data are integrated with existing information on coastal characteristics (topography, surficial geology, erosion rates) to assess coastal sensitivity to sea-level rise. Finally, overlay of known archaeological sites identifies those locations at greatest risk from destructive coastal changes. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of such models for regional-scale analyses but caution against the use of low resolution data to generate site-specific predictions.

Erosion and Flooding—Threats to Coastal Infrastructure in the Arctic: A Case Study from Herschel Island, Yukon Territory, Canada

“…Shoreline recession hazards to coastal settlements (Forbes 2011;Mackay 1986;Maslakov and Kraev 2014;Mason et al 2012) and archeological sites (Friesen and Arnold 2008;Westley et al 2011) have been documented across the Arctic. In this study, we present an assessment of sea level rise, shoreline recession, and flooding on Simpson Point (Fig.…”

“…Maps of SLR sensitivity on a continental scale exist for the Canadian Arctic (Shaw et al 1998), and a project to assess coastal geohazards at a scale of 1:50,000 is under development (Couture et al 2013), yet the scale of these products limits their value locally. Examples of high-resolution coastal geohazard maps in Canada and the USA are available from Northern Newfoundland (Westley et al 2011) or from the barrier islands of the Texas coast (TAMUCC-HRI 2014). These maps are valuable tools for coastal decision makers, and this study provides such an assessment for the historic settlement area on Simpson Point.…”

Recent Progress, Trends, and Developments in Island and Coastal Archaeology

“…We have worked to provide a forum for discussing these issues in JICA (e.g., Daire et al 2012;Erlandson 2008;Rick et al 2009;Trias et al 2014;Westley et al 2011). We return to this topic at the end of our essay.…”

Assessing the Impact of Coastal Erosion on Archaeological Sites: A Case Study from Northern Ireland

“…Even minor errors in positioning (e.g. several metres to low tens of metres) can affect classifications by placing sites on either side of the shoreline or just inside/outside the buffers used to determine proximity to erosion (see also Westley et al, 2011). An example of this is ANT041:23 (a wall) which was included within the local-scale analysis because it was mapped as seaward of the shoreline.…”

“…Consequently, over the last decade, there has been a proliferation of studies utilizing both desk-and field-based approaches to enhance records of coastal archaeological sites; identify areas of erosion; and estimate relative levels of site vulnerability (e.g. Dawson, 2003;Murphy et al, 2009;Westley et al, 2011;Daire et al, 2012;Reeder et al, 2012;Nitter et al, 2013).…”