Climate Change

Climate Change, which now is an accepted fact, is a major challenge for design and operation of ocean engineering systems. Working with the U.S. Navy, SST is developing methodologies for assessing the impacts of climate change and evaluating potential mitigation approaches. The impacts of climate change on the Navy include: higher sea level, which will have potentially significant effects on flooding and erosion/corrosion at coastal installations, particularly waterside facilities; and warmer sea temperatures, affecting storm and tropical storm frequency, intensity and surges with the potential of causing both short- and long-term damage to structures. There are both near-term and longer-term technologies and applications that have the potential to mitigate or reduce the consequences of these impacts. SST is actively working in all of these areas.

SST is participating in a U.S. Navy initiative to assess the impact of various potential consequences of climate change on Navy facilities, infrastructure and operations. Most Navy facilities are on a seacoast, and are especially vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surge inundation and other likely climate change consequences.

SST is supporting initiatives to understand the changes that may be required in facilities design, installation and operation to mitigate the consequences of climate change. These include improved ocean facilities design criteria to meet projected increases in storm intensity and frequency, development of revised Concepts of Operations, analysis tools to assess impacts of climate change and means to mitigate some of these consequences.