MADRID, 13 (EUROPA PRESS)
By 2080, rising sea levels could cause seasonal waves to reach Ahu Tongariki, the iconic ceremonial platform of Rapa Nui's world-famous moai.
These coastal floods threaten a total of 51 cultural assets on this Chilean island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, according to a study published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage by a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii (UH) at Manoa.
"For the community, these sites are essential for reaffirming identity and supporting the revitalization of traditions. Economically, they are the backbone of the island's tourism industry. If this threat is not addressed, the island's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site could be jeopardized," said Noah Paoa, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the Department of Earth Sciences, in a statement.
Paoa and his team constructed a detailed digital twin of the study site and used advanced computer models to simulate the wave environment along the coast. They then mapped projected wave inundation under future sea-level rise scenarios. The flood extent was overlaid on geospatial layers containing the locations of cultural assets, provided to the team by local partners, allowing the researchers to identify the cultural assets that would be inundated.
"Unfortunately, from a scientific perspective, the findings are not surprising," Paoa said. "We know that sea level rise poses a direct threat to coastlines worldwide. The crucial question was not whether the site would be affected, but how quickly and how severely. Our work aimed to establish possible timescales for expecting impacts."
The finding that waves could reach Ahu Tongariki by 2080 provides the specific and urgent data needed to stimulate community discussion and planning for the future.
