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short note on rise in sea levels and it's effect
short note on rise in sea levels and it's effect
Effects of sea level rise essay
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The Effects of Rising Sea Levels
Introduction:
Over the last several decades, climate change has evolved from a polarizing discussion to what will likely be the largest collaborative research project of our generation. While many aspects of climate change are still misunderstood, there is little debate that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising at an alarming rate. This rise is considered the main cause behind an increase in global temperature, which has set in motion a chain reaction of climatic events.
Atmospheric carbon impacts the temperature of the Earth because it is a greenhouse gas. When visible light from the sun heats the surface of the earth, some of the energy is transmitted back towards the atmosphere in the form of infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases absorb infrared that would have otherwise passed through the atmosphere and back into space, trapping excess heat. Unfortunately, the global temperature rise caused by atmospheric carbon is expected to have a domino effect, impacting other systems and cycles which will further warm the planet. The oceanic ice cycle in the Arctic and Antarctic is one example of this impact. Ice reflects more of the Sun’s radiation than open water, but ice coverage is decreasing due to global warming. As the amount of oceanic ice decreases, the amount of absorbed radiation increases, warming the ocean and creating a positive feedback loop. The scientific community is only beginning to understand the many ways, such as this one, that climate change will manifest itself.
With demand high for more research, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Environme...
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...ven if the climate is stabilised. Together, the present Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets contain enough water to raise sea level by almost 70m if they were to melt. Models project that a local annual average warming of larger than 3°C, sustained for millennia, would lead to virtually a complete melting of the Greenland ice sheet with a resulting sea level rise of about 7m. For a warming over Greenland of 5.5°C, consistent with mid-range stabilisation scenarios, the Greenland ice sheet is likely to contribute about 3m in 1,000 years. For a warming of 8°C, the contribution is about 6m, the ice sheet being largely eliminated. For smaller warmings, the decay of the ice sheet would be substantially slower. Current ice dynamic models states that the ice sheets would rise sea levels by 3mm/yr over the next thousand years5. These estimates are shown in the figure below.
Recent studies based on satellite monitoring by NASA reveals that melting ice from both the poles has been responsible for a fifth of the global rising sea levels since 1992 (11 mm). Antarctica and Greenland are now contributing three times as much ice to sea levels as they were 20 years ago. Although the Greenland ice sheet is only about...
Steffen, W. (2013, September 27). unpacking the ipcc fifth assessment report . Retrieved from Climate Council: www.¬climatecouncil.¬org.¬au/¬wp-¬content/¬uploads/¬2013/¬10/¬CC.¬report.¬1.¬2.-pdf
...i, X., . . . Johnson, C. A. (Eds.). (2001). Climate change 2001: The scientific basis : contribution of Working Group I to the third assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press.
The major effect most scientists fear as the result of increased levels of CO2 in our atmosphere is global warming. By blocking the heat reflected from the Earth's surface, greenhouse gases are able to warm the planet in a similar way to how glass warms up a greenhouse. Without this greenhouse effect, it is calculated our planet would be 35 degrees Celsius cooler worldwide, causing oceans to freeze and greatly altering life (Doyle, 1996). Accordi...
Scambos, Ted. "Earth’S Ice: Sea Level, Climate, And Our Future Commitment." Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists 67.1 (2011): 28-40. Academic Search Elite. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.
The principle causes of eustatic sea-level change are due to the variations of ocean-water volume and by the changes in the volume of the ocean basins. Variations in the volume of seawater are controlled by the formation and melting of the ice caps and glaciers. When water accumulates as ice on the land surface it causes sea-level to fall, whereas during inter-glacial periods the reverse happens and sea-levels begins to rise (Pethick 1984). This known as glacio-eustasy. In terms of the volume of water involved in this process, Pethick (1984) believes that if all the ice in the world were to melt, present day sea-level rise would rise by 40-60 metres, with Rothery (1998) and Coe et al (2005) suggesting this could be as high as 80 metres. Changes in the v...
Scientists and environmentalists started talking about global warming and the dangers of climate change long time ago but it is now when the consequences of these effects began to manifest themselves in a clearer and even worrisome manner. The temperatures on Earth are rising, the sea level is rising, the amounts of CO2 and ozone in the atmosphere are increasing, the amount and timing of precipitation is changing. All of these issues show tendency to worsen in the future, though it is hard to predict exactly by how much or at what rate they will unfold. One thing is clear – climate change has an impact on almost every area of our life and it deserves our attention and timely response.
Carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas make global warming which cause climate anomalies rise sea levels and Nino phenomenon. “Global warming 'will come sooner and be stronger'. A new analysis showed carbon...
“If people keep adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, the average sea level around the world by the end of this century (the year 2099) could be anywhere from 7 to 23 inches higher than it was in 1990. Sea level could rise even more if the big ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica melt
“Sea Level Rise And Climate Change Exiles: A Possible Solution.” Pg. 24-25. Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists 71.2 (2015): 21-28. Academic Search Premier. Web. May 05, 2015. http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=3e7741d7-90c0-4cde-a385-0b99616c0ab4%40sessionmgr113&hid=113&hid=113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGI2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5h&AN=101327662
“Climate change: How do we know?” NASA. NASA n. d. n. pag. Web. 28 November
"On a recent afternoon, Scott McKenzie watched torrential rains and a murky tide swallow the street outside his dog-grooming salon. Within minutes, much of this stretch of chic South Beach was flooded ankle-deep in a fetid mix of rain and sea.
Scientists appear to have become aware of the issue of rising sea levels in the mid to late 1980s. An article published in Science News in 1987 predicted that “global warming… will cause… the world's oceans to expand, raising the average sea level by 4 to 8 centimeters in the next 40 years” (Monastersky). Though 4 to 8 centimeters sounds like a miniscule amount in relation to the vastness of the world’s oceans, this early article disturbed many readers. Many for this reason: early stud...
The commonly debated “greenhouse effect” refers to “the global-average temperature increase that has been observed over the last one hundred years or more” (Spencer). President Barack Obama addressed the issue as an effort to highlight its severity, "We have to all shoulder the responsibility for keeping the planet habitable, or we’re going to suffer the consequences – together” (Leader). The earth’s increasing atmospheric and oceanic temperatures result in climate changes due to cumulative amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
Solomon, S. (Ed.). (2007). Climate change 2007-the physical science basis: Working group I contribution to the fourth assessment report of the IPCC (Vol. 4, pg 501). Cambridge University Press.