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Article
Impacts of a Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake on Water Levels and Wetlands of the Lower Columbia River and Estuary
Geophysical Research Letters
  • M. W. Brand, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • Heida Diefenderfer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • J. E. O’Connor, U.S. Geological Survey, Portland
  • Amy B. Borde, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • D. A. Jay, Portland State University
  • Aqeel Al-bahadily, Mustansiriyah University
  • M. McKeon, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • S. A. Talke, California Polytechnic State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-2023
Subjects
  • Tides,
  • Water levels
Abstract

Subsidence after a subduction zone earthquake can cause major changes in estuarine bathymetry. Here, we quantify the impacts of earthquake-induced subsidence on hydrodynamics and habitat distributions in a major system, the lower Columbia River Estuary, using a hydrodynamic and habitat model. Model results indicate that coseismic subsidence increases tidal range, with the smallest changes at the coast and a maximum increase of ∼10% in a region of topographic convergence. All modeled scenarios reduce intertidal habitat by 24%–25% and shifts ∼93% of estuarine wetlands to lower-elevation habitat bands. Incorporating dynamic effects of tidal change from subsidence yields higher estimates of remaining habitat by multiples of 0–3.7, dependent on the habitat type. The persistent tidal change and chronic habitat disturbance after an earthquake poses strong challenges for estuarine management and wetland restoration planning, particularly when coupled with future sea-level rise effects.

Rights

Copyright (c) 2023 The Authors

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

DOI
10.1029/2023GL103017
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/40611
Citation Information
Brand, M. W., Diefenderfer, H. L., O’Connor, J. E., Borde, A. B., Jay, D. A., Al‐Bahadily, A., ... & Talke, S. A. (2023). Impacts of a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake on water levels and wetlands of the lower Columbia River and estuary. Geophysical Research Letters, 50(14), e2023GL103017.