Análisis Geoespacial del Impacto del Aumento del Nivel del Mar en la Infraestructura del Área Metropolitana de Puerto Rico

Abstract

Climate change is a phenomenon that is affecting different places and countries around the world. Among its consequences are global warming and sea level rise (SLR) on the coast. The SLR is largely caused by the melting of glaciers in the planet's poles. Each year the sea is increasingly stealing land from the coast to reach urban, tourist, commercial or government sites that may affect infrastructure and economy, besides affecting thousands of people in the medium and long term. In Puerto Rico much infrastructure has been built near the coasts and wetlands, which are the most likely to be impacted by this phenomenon. Different simulators have been prepared through the internet and government agencies that visually demonstrate how that sea level could rise. The base information used in these simulators not always indicates its source, how it is updated and has limited precision that cannot be used in detailed planning. The purpose of this research is to conduct a geospatial analysis of the potential impact of rising sea levels due to climate change in the existing infrastructure of PR using and comparing different digital elevation models available. Key Terms - Climate Change, Digital Elevation Models, Geospatial Analysis, Infrastructure, Sea Level Rise.