Would the Northern European Enclosure Dam really protect Sweden from sea level rise? (NEEDS)

Sea level is rising, threatening coastal populations and infrastructures.

Yet to date there is no consensus as to what drives sea level at a given location, nor how soon sea level rise will affect us.

The main reason is that traditional projections focus on the year 2100, fail to solve the full dynamics, and hence are too uncertain to be useful for urban planning.The hypothesis driving NEEDS is that the uncertainties can be drastically reduced by a mechanistic approach to sea level rise projections.

We will combine our experience in advanced time series analysis with deep learning to determine, for the first time the complete dynamics of sea level variability from the seasonal to 30-year scale for individual regions of Northern Europe, in order to produce reliable sea level and flood projections for Sweden.

Specifically, we will:Identify the spatial coherence in the broad Nordic-North-Baltic Seas area.Determine the dynamical relationships between short-term sea level rise and local and remote processes, especially for Sweden.Quantify sea level rise and flood risk in Sweden, between now and 2050.My experience in time series analysis, climate modelling and AI, along with international collaborations and leadership skills make me and my group uniquely qualified to carry out this multidisciplinary project.

NEEDS will give me the unique opportunity to bring our research close to home, paving the way to a successful career as a scientist working for society’s future.