Latest news from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet will be one of the main reasons that sea levels will rise in this century. Their message? That sea level rise is real and is going to get worse.
The book, “The Rising Sea” assumes the possibility of a seven foot rise. Climate scientists feel this is not just a possibility, but instead, very likely.
The last century’s sea level rise was mainly due to thermal expansion of ocean water. Melting glaciers and ice sheets contributed, but not heavily. Scientists now believe that this century’s rise will be caused from the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Greenland Ice Sheet. Melting measurement is difficult to predict but the worst case scenarios include a 16 foot rise if the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet melts and a potential 20 foot rise if the Greenland Ice Sheet goes too.
mcmurdo
Studies have indicated that both Rhode Island and the Miami area should expect a 3-5 foot rise by the end of this century. California’s prediction is 4 ½ feet.
The rising waters will become a major climate change concern. Rising sea level threatens water supplies, agriculture, and can cause higher flood and storm waters. The Mississippi River Basin may have increased local sea level rise. Our coastal cities will need to consider how this sea-level rise might affect them and create long range plans for dealing with the issue such as building new infrastructures (water, sewer, roads, bridges) inland as well as no more buildings being built on what will become flood plains.
With the high probability of low lying lands become waterlogged in the next century it makes sense to think about the future long before you build.
flood
Tags: global flooding, global warming, rising sea
thanks for the great post very informal
Thanks, I think. I try to be informal…