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Study Forecasts Seasonal Waves Could Inundate Ahu Tongariki by 2080

Researchers are calling for proactive adaptation planning to safeguard Ahu Tongariki, with dozens of other coastal heritage sites also at risk.

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FILE - Moai statues stand on Ahu Tongariki near the Rano Raraku volcano, top, on Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, Chile, Nov. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix, File)
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Overview

  • The peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Cultural Heritage uses a high-resolution digital twin to model wave impacts under sea-level rise scenarios.
  • Findings indicate powerful seasonal waves could reach the island’s main ceremonial platform by about 2080, endangering its 15 moai statues.
  • About 50 additional cultural sites on Easter Island were mapped as vulnerable to future coastal flooding.
  • Researchers propose defence measures ranging from coastal armouring and breakwaters to relocating vulnerable monuments.
  • The study situates Easter Island’s risks within a UNESCO report that flags roughly 50 World Heritage sites globally as highly exposed to coastal flooding.