For the last 25 years, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography has been mapping the coastline from the U.S.-Mexico border to Oceanside, California, as a way of measuring the impact of climate change and sea-level rise. 

This research is part of how Scripps provides coastal-flooding warnings for a Navy base right on the San Diego waterfront — the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. That work includes surveying the beaches with lidar, a remote-sensing technology that uses laser pulses to make three-dimensional maps that measure things like sand and seaweed on the beach.

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal rides along with two researchers from Scripps on their monthly truck survey of the beach, which is used by the Navy Seals for training. They discuss how Scripps builds climate prediction models, which warn of extreme events like coastal flooding.

This reporting is part of the latest season of Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast, “How We Survive,” hosted by Kai, a Navy veteran. The series looks at the role the U.S. military plays in creating our climate future. 

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