• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.23-45
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• 2023

Tuvalu is a small reef islands country in the Pacific Ocean. Its coastal regions are very much dynamic due to the profound effects of tropical cyclones and sea level rise (SLR). However, research works on coastline dynamics of Tuvalu mainly cover its capital, Funafuti. Therefore, this review summarizes the extent of long-term coastal changes in different islets of Funafuti and on overall Tuvalu. In Funafuti, highly accreting areas are Te Afualiku, Fuafatu, Motugie, and Amatuku, and highly eroding areas are Fuagea and Tefala with the fully disappeared islet of Vasafua after 2005. However, in spite of different causes and supposition of scientists on disappearing these lands the accretion is more dominant than erosion which resulted in 7.3% net increase of land areas of Tuvalu over 117 years till 2015. Severe tropical cyclones mainly caused accretion of land areas by forming coral rubble rampart formation and further reworks and erosion to small sandy islands whereas frequent low-energy cyclones mainly caused erosion. Though, till now severe erosion of coastal areas are not evident by global SLR, islets of Funafuti experienced remarkable shoreline increase as formation of 30-40 m wide rubble rampart formation along 19 km in 1971 by tropical cyclone Bebe and net increase of area of 3.45 ha by tropical cyclone Pam in 2015. In spite of such overall accretion of coastal areas several scientists suspect drowning of its areas in future because of high SLR (~5.1±0.7 mm/year) at Funafuti which supposedly will not work as a breakwater anymore. Thus, protection measures should be taken to prevent coastline erosion as well as land reclamation activities should be done following the global examples.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.746-752
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• 2022

Kiribati, a South Pacific island, and its surrounding countries are gradually submerging to rising sea levels. The sea level continues to change according to the degree of thermal expansion of glaciers and seawater that decreases with increase in temperature. Global warming affects both the amount and volume of seawater, thus increasing sea level. Tidal phenomena occur twice a day to the attraction of celestial bodies such as the moon and the sun. The moon changes the angle of orbiting surface with the Earth equator every 18.6 years, and the magnitude of the tidal force changes depending on the distance between the Earth equator and the moon orbital surface. The University of Hawaii Sea Level Center selected Tarawa, Christmas, Kanton of Kiribati,, Lautoka, Suva of Fiji,Funafuti of Tuvalu, Nuk1u'alofa of Tonga, and Port Vila of Vanuatu. When comparing tide levels for each year for 19 years, the focus was on checking the change in sleep to Tide levels, and rising sea levels was the effect of Tide levels. The highest astronomical tides (HAT) and lowest astronomical tides (LAT) were identified as Tarawa 297.0, 50.8 cm, Christmas 123.8, 19.9 cm, Kanton 173.7, 39.9 cm, Lautoka 240.7, 11.3 cm, Funafuti 328.6, 98.4 cm, Nuk1u'alofa 188.8, 15.5 cm, Port Vila 161.5, -0.5cm, respectively. The Sea level rising speed was Tarawa 3.1 mm/year, Christmas -1.0 mm/year, Kanton 1.6 mm/year, Lautoka 3.1 mm/year, Suva 7.4 mm/year, Funafuti 1.4 mm/year, Nuk1u'alofa 4.2 mm/year, and Port Vila -1.2 mm/year, respectively