1,000 P.E.I. homes in danger from coastal erosion
Island sandstone provides little protection from rising sea levels, says researcher
The Climate Research Lab at the University of Prince Edward Island has a new tool that shows how erosion will eat away at the Island over the next 90 years, and it indicates about 1,000 homes are at risk of falling into the ocean.
The tool is called CLIVE, or Coastal Impact Visualization Environment. It shows a 3D map of P.E.I, and you can zoom in on different areas to how the rising water levels will affect the coast line.
Lab director Adam Fenech said the Island homes in jeopardy have no "natural protection" from the ocean.
"Unfortunately the Island is just made of sand and sandstone, where virtually everywhere else, certainly in the other Atlantic provinces, they have this natural protection," said Fenech.
"Here on the Island it's not there. The oceans erode everything away unless we import rocks to help protect or build a seawall."
Fenech said these changes can already be seen on P.E.I., and homeowners need to take note.
There will be a live demonstration of CLIVE Tuesday at 7 p.m. local time, in the Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre at UPEI.
For mobile device users: Are you concerned about your property as sea levels rise around P.E.I.?