Relative sea level change is highly variable in Alaska due to extremes in vertical land motion. In southcentral Alaska rapid uplift is occurring because of isostatic rebound from glacial ice loss resulting in falling relative sea levels, and in western Alaska sedimentation in deltaic areas contributes to land subsidence and accelerated relative sea level rise.

 

An updated Sea Level Rise Technical Report for the United States was released in February 2022. These projections reflect the latest science, but data challenges in Alaska make this new information less accessible to the public and map visualization products are not always the most effective way to convey the implications of these updated trends to the widest possible audience.

 

Communicating the causes and implications of sea level rise is important, but Ms. Lochridge wants to ensure that she cultivates hope for a future that is worth working for. During her personal experiences as an artist and as a scientist, she has found that people are more willing to participate in addressing an issue when they believe that current actions will be successful. Therefore, in addition to highlighting the aforementioned subjects, this project will draw attention to how groups such as NOAA and local communities are working to understand and minimize the impact of sea level change in Alaska.