Sea level rise accelerates instead of rising steadily • Earth.com

Sea level rise accelerates instead of rising steadily

02-14-2018


Sea level rise accelerates instead of rising steadily Earlier this week, we told you about new research that shows sea level rise accelerating each year. Now, today’s Video of the Day comes from NASA and takes a closer look at why sea level rise accelerates incrementally rather than steadily.

According to the research, if water levels continue increasing at this pace, the global sea level will rise 26 inches by 2100, which could cause significant damage in coastal cities.

Societies can adapt to sea level rise in three different ways: implement managed retreat, accommodate coastal change, or protect against sea level rise through hard-construction practices like seawalls or soft approaches such as dune rehabilitation and beach nourishment. Sometimes these adaptation strategies go hand in hand, but at other times choices have to be made among different strategies.

Since the last glacial maximum about 20,000 years ago, the sea level has risen by more than 125 metres (410 ft), with rates varying from less than a mm/year to 40+ mm/year, as a result of melting ice sheets over Canada and Eurasia.  Sea level rise accelerates instead of rising steadily as shown above in the video showing the damages.

By Rory Arnold, Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: NASA

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