Visualizing the Risk of Sea Level Rise in Charles County  

Background

Sea level rise poses significant risks to Charles County, a southern Maryland county located along the Potomac River. As sea levels continue to rise, coastal communities in the region will be increasingly vulnerable to flooding and storm surge. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), global sea levels have risen about 8 inches (21 cm) since 1880, with almost half of that rise occurring in the last 25 years. Sea level is projected to continue rising, with the potential for severe impacts on coastal communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Low-lying areas are particularly at risk of flooding during high tide and severe weather events. The county has a large amount of vulnerable areas such as wetlands, marshes and waterfront properties along the Potomac River. In addition, rising sea levels can also lead to saltwater intrusion in freshwater aquifers, which can contaminate drinking water and harm agricultural production.

Given the potential impact on property and citizens, it is important for Charles County to be able to visualize data on how sea level rise will impact specific areas along the Potomac River, so that officials and residents can plan and prepare accordingly. This includes data visualization tools that show how sea level rise will impact coastal communities and infrastructure, such as roads and properties. Having a clear understanding of the risks and impacts of sea level rise, specifically along the Potomac River, will help Charles County to take proactive measures to protect its citizens and property from the effects of sea level rise. It is important to note that the impacts of sea level rise are not limited to Charles County alone, but also have the potential to affect the infrastructure and economies of the surrounding counties in the region.

Dataset Info

There are several open source data sources that students could use for a visualization tool on sea level rise in Charles County. Some possibilities include:

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides a variety of sea level rise data, including historical data and projections for future sea level rise.  https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/#

• The Global Surface Water Explorer is a tool that provides information on the changes in surface water, such as floods, droughts, and sea level rise, from the year 1984 to the present.  https://global-surface-water.appspot.com/

• The Climate Explorer tool, developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), allows users to create custom maps and visualizations of climate data, including sea level rise data.  https://crt-climate-explorer.nemac.org/

• The Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer is a tool developed by NOAA that allows users to visualize potential sea level rise and coastal flooding impacts. The tool is interactive and allows users to view specific locations and select different sea level rise scenarios. It can be used to help inform coastal planning and management decisions.  https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/snapshots.html

Challenge Overview

The challenge for this Hackathon is to create data visualization tools that can help to better understand the risks and impacts of sea level rise in Charles County, Southern Maryland. Participants will have access to open source data, such as sea level rise projections, topographic maps, and flood zone information, and they will be asked to use this data to create interactive visualizations that help to communicate the risks of sea level rise to officials and residents. The goal of the Hackathon is to encourage participants to think creatively about how to present data in a way that is accessible and informative, and to develop tools that can be used to support decision-making and planning related to sea level rise in Charles County.

Guiding Questions

• How can we use open source data to create interactive visualizations that effectively communicate the risks of sea level rise to officials and residents in Charles County?

• What are the key data points and metrics that are most important for understanding the impact of sea level rise on coastal communities and infrastructure in Charles County? How can we present this information in a way that is easy to understand and use for decision-making and planning purposes?

Submission Requirements

1. A brief description of the data visualization tools created and how it addresses the challenge of visualizing the risk of sea level rise in Charles County.

2. A link or access to the interactive data visualization tool.

3. A presentation or video that demonstrates how the tool works and how it can be used to support decision-making and planning related to sea level rise in Charles County. 

4. A written report that explains the data sources used, the methods and techniques used to create the visualization, and any limitations or limitations of the tool.

Scorecard Design