Sea Level Rise
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There will always be beaches, but sea level rise will ensure that they will not be in the same place in the future. The beaches will still exist throughout this change, but many of the buildings may not. Efforts to save development, however do threaten beaches, such as shoreline armoring structures.
Although relative amounts of rise may seem very small, only a few millimeters per year, the cumulative effect of these small rises each year over a long period of time (100+ years) causes major problems. Accelerated rates of erosion are attributed to sea level rise and erosion causes large economic losses around the world each year due to the close proximity of buildings and critical infrastructure. This includes transportation systems, gas and oil lines as well as electricity lines and power plants.
Most developed coasts and beaches have buildings very close to the ocean leaving little room for the ever-expanding ocean. The future effects of sea level rise on coastal civilization over the entire world are of great concern. Over half of the world’s population lives within 100 km of the coast. Over the next 50 years, damage due to coastal development will be devastating, but if the rate of sea level rise increases, the results could be catastrophic. This issue threatens areas from New York City in the United States to the Pearl River Delta in China to the Maldives.
The world map below allows you to see elevations of coastal areas. Areas in red are the lowest in elevation and are most prone to flooding. Check out Manhattan in New York City. If you think the situation there looks dire, be sure to check out the effects of a 2 m rise in sea level on Pearl River Delta in China, home to more than 40 million people. Map courtesy of globalwarmingart.com
Surfing in / Sea Level Rise
How to Save Bangladesh?
Bangladesh sits at the end of the cone of the Bay of Bengal. The country is infamous for natural disasters. Most of the land is flat and just above sea level, every storm sweeps across the country without any obstacles, and tidal surges pound the coast. About 150 million people live here, and the population density is one of the highest in the world after places like Singapore and Hong Kong…
Hawaii’s Beaches Are in Retreat, and Its Way of Life May Follow
Little by little, Hawaii’s iconic beaches are disappearing…
In Rhode Island, Protecting a Shoreline and a Lifeline
Coastal erosion, a natural effect of Matunuck’s direct exposure to the elements in an area prone to sand-sucking northeasters, has shrunk parts of the once more than 100 feet beach, to less than a dozen feet during high tide…
Past and future contribution of global groundwater depletion to sea-level rise
As people pump groundwater for irrigation, drinking water, and industrial uses, the water doesn’t just seep back into the ground, it also evaporates into the atmosphere, or runs off into rivers and canals, eventually emptying into the world’s oceans.
First-of-its-kind study reveals surprising ecological effects of earthquake and tsunami
The reappearance of long-forgotten habitats and the resurgence of species unseen for years may not be among the expected effects of a natural disaster. Yet that’s exactly what researchers have found on the sandy beaches of south central Chile, after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake and devastating tsunami in 2010. Their study also revealed a preview of the problems wrought by sea level rise, a major symptom of climate change.
Antarctic Ice Melting From Warm Water Below
Most glacial ice melting occurs below the sea surface and in regions where ice shelves and icebergs are concentrated, as along the Antarctic coastline. That suggests that future sea levels could rise faster than many scientists have been predicting.
5 Misconceptions About Sea-Level Rise
Clear scientific consensus on global climate change amongst scientists does exist. Every major scientific organization in the United States, Europe, and Asia has produced statements supporting the science behind the human contribution to global warming and indicating an expected acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise over the next century…
Rising Pacific Seas Linked to Climate Change: study
Sea levels in the southwest Pacific started rising drastically in the 1880s, with a notable peak in the 1990s thought to be linked to human-induced climate change, according to a new study.
