Public Event: The Impact of Sea Level Rise on the Texas Gulf Coast

April 4, 2024

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Seas are rising, and Houston and other Texas coastal communities are more vulnerable than ever. On April 10 at 7 p.m., The University of Texas at Austin and University of Houston are hosting an evening of public talks on the impacts of sea level rise at the University of Houston Student Center.

The event is an opportunity for the public to hear the latest climate change science and learn how communities are adapting to climate disaster.

Featuring a panel of climate and social policy experts, speakers will discuss glacial retreat, sea level rise projections and efforts to protect coastal cities and infrastructure. The event is free and open to the public. Places are limited so please register to secure your place.

Public Talks: Understanding Sea Level Rise

Hosts: Prof. David Mohrig, UT Jackson School of Geosciences, and Prof. Julia Wellner, University of Houston Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

Featuring:

• A.R. Siders, Assistant Professor, Biden School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware
• Tor Törnqvist, Vokes Geology Professor, School of Science & Engineering, Tulane University
• Ashley Ross, Associate Professor, Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental, Texas A&M University at Galveston
• Ryan Venturelli, Assistant Professor, Geology and Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines

When: April 10, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Venue: University of Houston Student Center South, Ballroom.

The public talks are part of a week-long scientific workshop (From Ice Sheets to the Coast: Sea-Level Rise Impacts) that’s bringing together experts from across Texas and the U.S. to figure out how to respond to the impacts of sea level rise.

Both the workshop and the public talks are organized by the Jackson School and UH Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Other sponsors include University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School, U.S. National Science Foundation, U.K. Natural Environment Research Council, and International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration.

Note to reporters: Experts are available for interviews before and during the event.

The Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin is among the most established and well-regarded geoscience programs in the world. The school includes the University’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, one of the country’s oldest geoscience departments, and two world-renowned research units, the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics and the Bureau of Economic Geology. Jackson School researchers are at the forefront of climate research and efforts to understand the impacts of sea level rise. The school has launched a new climate system science degree to train a new generation of scientists who will address and prepare for the far-reaching effects of climate change.