ClimateData.ca has been updated with two marine datasets: Relative Sea-Level Change (RSLC), updated to CMIP6, and a new Vertical Allowance dataset. These datasets provide information to support coastal adaptation planning, infrastructure design, and risk assessments in response to climate change-driven sea-level change.
Canada’s coastline is increasingly exposed to the impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels and extreme water-level events. To aid coastal planners, engineers, and decision-makers, ClimateData.ca now provides access to two complementary datasets:
Note: The vertical allowance dataset provides general guidance at a national scale, but does not replace the need for local projections or risk assessments, particularly when planning for critical infrastructure or site-specific developments. It is best used as a complement to more detailed local data, where available.
Accurate and location-specific sea-level change data is essential for developing effective adaptation strategies. The Vertical Allowances Dataset helps determine how much an asset, such as a hospital, pier, or house, should be elevated to maintain an acceptable probability of flooding over its design lifetime. Meanwhile, the RSLC Dataset allows users to explore site-specific relative sea-level projections and understand how changes vary across Canada due to regional factors such as vertical land motion, ocean currents, and gravitational effects.
These datasets are particularly valuable for:
It should be noted that the crustal velocity model used for the Relative Sea-Level Change data available on ClimateData.ca is based on measurements of land motion made on bedrock. Therefore, local subsidence and compaction effects in locations with a thick sequence of unconsolidated sediment, i.e. large deltas such as those at the mouth of the Fraser and Mackenzie rivers (James et al, 2021), are not reflected in the crustal velocity model. Consequently, the sea-level projections in such locations should be adjusted to incorporate, if available, local knowledge of vertical land motions. For this reason, the Vertical Land Motion data from the crustal velocity model used for this dataset is provided. This will allow users to remove the effects of vertical land motions as calculated in the crustal velocity model from the sea level data found on ClimateData.ca with a view to replace it with values based on other sources of local knowledge of vertical land motion.
For more information on how to use these datasets and incorporate them into adaptation planning, contact the Climate Services Support Desk for assistance.