Effect Of Climate Change On Sea Levels – Climate change is accelerating sea level rise around the world, leaving some of the most vulnerable populations at risk as they are forced to live in marginal areas where flooding from high tides is increasing, as go here in Kiribati.

As humans continue to dump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the oceans have blunted the effect. The world’s seas have absorbed more than 90 percent of the heat from these gases, but this is taking its toll on our oceans: 2021 set a new record for ocean warming.

Effect Of Climate Change On Sea Levels

Sea level rise is one of those effects of climate change. Average sea level has risen more than 8 inches (about 23 cm) since 1880, and about three of those inches have risen in the past 25 years. Each year, the sea rises another 3.2 mm (0.13 in). Research published in February 2022 shows that sea level rise is accelerating and is projected to rise by one foot by 2050.

Our Changing Climate: Sea Level Rise

That translates to sea level rise over the next 30 years equal to that which occurred over the last century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Rick Spinrad, administrator of NOAA, called the findings “historic” and warned that the projected increase will occur even if carbon emissions are drastically reduced.

In the United States, the most vulnerable populations live on the East and Gulf coasts, where damaging floods are expected to occur 10 times more frequently by 2050 than today. The acceleration of sea level rise along these coasts is “unprecedented in at least 120 years,” according to a study published in April 2023.

The change in sea level is linked to three main factors, all induced by current global climate change:

When sea level rises as rapidly as it has, even a small rise can have devastating effects on coastal habitats further inland, causing destructive erosion, flooding of wetlands, contamination of aquifers and agricultural soils with salt, and loss of habitat for fish, birds, and plants.

Explainer: How Climate Change Is Accelerating Sea Level Rise

Higher sea levels coincide with more dangerous hurricanes and typhoons that move slower and dump more rain, contributing to more powerful storm surges that can wipe out everything in their path. One study found that between 1963 and 2012, nearly half of all Atlantic hurricane deaths were caused by storm surge.

Flooding in low-lying coastal areas is already forcing people to migrate to higher ground, and millions more are vulnerable to the risk of flooding and other effects of climate change. The prospect of rising coastal water levels threatens basic services such as Internet access, as much of the underlying communications infrastructure lies in the path of rising sea levels.

As a result of these risks, many coastal cities are already planning adaptation measures to address the long-term prospects of sea level rise, often at considerable cost. They are building dams, rethinking roads and planting mangroves or other vegetation to absorb water.

In Jakarta, a $40 billion project will aim to protect the city with an 80-foot-high seawall. Rotterdam, home of the Global Adaptation Center, has offered a model to other cities seeking to combat flooding and land loss. The Dutch city has built barriers, drainage and innovative architectural elements, such as a “water plaza” with temporary ponds.

Infographic: Sea Level Rise

Of course, communities vulnerable to sea level rise can only go so far to stem the tide. In the Marshall Islands, where rising sea levels are forcing a choice between relocating or building on land, residents will need help from other nations if they decide to pursue the costly latter option.

The climate is certainly changing. But what is the reason for this change? And how does rising temperatures affect the environment and our lives?

Most predictions say that global warming will continue and is likely to accelerate, causing oceans to continue to rise. This means that hundreds of coastal cities are facing flooding. But forecasting how much and how quickly the seas will rise remains an area of ​​ongoing research.

A special report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says we can expect oceans to rise by 10 to 30 inches (26 to 77 centimeters) by 2100 with temperatures set to warm 1.5°C. That’s enough to severely impact many of the cities along the East Coast of the United States. Another analysis based on NASA and European data leaned toward the upper end of that range, predicting an increase of 26 inches (65 centimeters) by the end of this century if the current trajectory continues.

Climate Change: Global Sea Level

If all the ice that currently exists on Earth in glaciers and caps melted, sea levels would rise by 216 feet. That could cause entire states and even some countries to disappear beneath the waves, from Florida to Bangladesh. That’s not a scenario scientists think is likely, and it would probably take many centuries, but it could eventually happen if the world continues burning fossil fuels indiscriminately.

Meanwhile, scientists continue to refine their models of sea level changes. They also note that the extent to which countries work together to limit the release of more greenhouse gases can have a significant impact on how quickly and to what extent the seas rise.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on February 19, 2019. It has been updated with new data.

It’s “the same as traditional meat,” scientists say, but “without the animal in the equation.”

Effects Of Global Warming Around The World (photos)

The Gullah Geechee people are among the most climatically threatened in the world. By rebuilding oyster reefs and limiting coastal development, they hope to preserve homes and heritage.

As the planet warms, sea levels rise. The coasts are flooded. What will we protect? What will we abandon? How will we confront the danger of rising sea levels?

Researchers at Heligoland in Germany have observed temperature and marine life at the same location off the coast every weekday since 1962. The data is a unique document on climate change. This is the fifth in a 10-part series on the current global impacts of climate change. These stories will look at the current effects of a changing planet, what emerging science suggests is behind those changes, and what we can all do to adapt to them.

Newtok, Alaska, lies on a grassy, ​​treeless plain near where the Ningliq River meets the Bering Sea. Home to 450 Yup’ik Eskimos, Newtok is not an ancient place. Most families have lived there only since the 1960s. The federal government built a school there in 1958 as a way to encourage people to move to this town from surrounding areas.

Sea Level Rise And Its Impact On Coastal Zones

In October 2017, a storm eroded more of the coast here in Newtok, Alaska, near the Bering Sea. Winds and high tides cause the river to frequently overflow its banks and flood the town, especially in autumn. Courtesy of the Denali Commission

But climate change has put Newtok in danger. The ice here is melting. Their once-frozen land, known as permafrost, is sinking as the ice melts. The river is eroding soil at a rate of 70 to 90 feet (21 to 27 meters) per year. And when a strong southerly wind pushes the tide up during the fall, “we know it’s going to flood,” Cadiente says. The houses closest to the coast are in danger of being washed away. If that happens, families would have to live in emergency yurts (a type of tent).

As the landfill and sewage lagoon have eroded, people here can no longer dispose of their trash. The villagers also have other health problems. Mold grows well in your flooded homes. This caused respiratory problems for residents.

People can’t continue living in Newtok, so they are building a new village in Metarvik. It is about 14 kilometers (9 miles) away. Cadiente is coordinating the work to build the new town and move to it. “The really interesting thing is that [people] can stay together,” she says. However, Newtok residents are sad to leave the homes their families have had for almost 60 years.

Rising Tides: Understanding Sea Level Rise

Newtok is not the only place threatened by melting ice. Meltwater from lands, glaciers and other places that were once frozen flows into the sea. This causes sea level to rise, not only in the polar regions, but throughout the world. Coastal areas and island countries around the world are already dealing with the effects of sea level rise. People can take some steps now to limit the worst impacts and help people adapt. But time to act is running out.

The Thwaites Ice Sheet in Antarctica is likely near or beyond its tipping point for a future fall into the ocean. The calving of ice sheets and the melting of glaciers are one of several factors contributing to sea level rise. J. Yungel/NASA

The Odenwinkelkees in the Austrian Alps is one of many glaciers that are losing mass. Melting water reaches the oceans, contributing to sea level rise. Lee Brown/University of Leeds

Average sea level around the world is rising for two main reasons. Rising air temperatures have been melting land ice, such as glaciers. That water eventually reaches the world’s oceans. And it accounts for about two-thirds of global sea level rise, says William Sweet. He is an oceanographer with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Silver Spring, Maryland. The other third comes from warming

Planning Pathways Using Climate Change Resources — Science Learning Hub

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