Chances are you've already heard of rising sea levels in the media, but many people wonder whether it is as serious as it sounds or if the issue is being exaggerated. Sea level rise has been occurring to some degree for centuries but it has accelerated over the last few decades, causing more land to be submerged.
Read on to learn the evidence behind sea level rise and why it is such an important issue.
What is sea level rise?
Sea level rise is a global increase in the ocean’s surface levels and it is measured from the centre of the Earth. However, since the surface of the ocean is not flat, sea level rise can vary and it will not change at the same rate all over the world. As a result, local sea level rise in a specific location may be more or less than the global sea level rise, and both can be influenced by a number of factors. Sea levels vary greatly over time, from second to second or decade to decade. As a result, sea level rise can be difficult to measure. To keep it objective, sea level rise is defined as the average rise observed over a much longer period and is usually measured from several different coastal stations over a few centuries. With modern advancements, satellite measurements are now used alongside more traditional methods. What causes sea levels to rise? There are a number of factors that contribute to rising sea levels:
Ocean warming With each passing year, climate change is having a significant impact on our planet, and it is currently the leading cause of sea level rise. Burning fossil fuels, one of the biggest factors contributing to climate change, releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The oceans then absorb this carbon dioxide and, because CO2 traps heat, the water becomes warmer and expands. This causes an overall rise in sea levels. Melting sea ice When glaciers and ice sheets melt, sea levels rise as the planet’s overall water mass increases.
There are large reserves of ice found in places like Greenland and Antarctica in the form of ice sheets. It is natural for them to melt during warmer months and refreeze in the colder months. But, as you can imagine, as global temperatures rise, these ice reserves are now melting at a faster rate. To make matters worse, it is no longer cold enough for them to refreeze in the winter. As a result, water that was previously stored as ice is released, causing a rise in sea levels. Movement of the Earth’s crust The Earth’s crust moves around a lot, hence why we have earthquakes. However, what many people don’t realise is, the crust is capable of moving vertically. This can create a shift in sea levels, causing them to rise. Isostatic rebound, in particular, contributes to rising sea levels. It is a vertical shift in the Earth’s crust that occurs in response to the removal of ice sheets that previously weighed it down. Changes in atmospheric pressure Regional changes in atmospheric pressure also have a significant impact on our oceans. They are linked to changes in the strength of ocean currents, as well as their distribution. These ocean-atmosphere interactions, combined with the changes in seawater density that occur as a result of increasing water temperatures and freshwater input from melting ice, contribute to a rise in sea levels. How much are sea levels rising? Between 1900 and 1990, sea levels rose at a rate of roughly 1.7 mm each year. However, sea level rise has accelerated over the last few decades and, between 1990 and 2009, sea levels began to rise approximately 2.8 mm each year. Most recently, in 2019, the estimated rate of sea level rise ranges between 3 and 4 mm a year. So, the issue continues to grow. There have been a number of models to try and predict future sea levels but this is not an easy task, especially considering we don’t know what future carbon emissions will be like. Regardless, all current models predict that the rate of sea level rise will continue to increase. What's the issue? Sea level rise has a number of significant impacts: It threatens coastal life all over the world As sea levels rise, it’s the areas closest to the sea that are most affected. Coastal areas can become damaged by floods and storm surges. Eventually, the shoreline will move further and further inland as coasts become submerged.
Since the coast tends to be where our most heavily populated areas are, this would have a massive impact on countless communities all over the world. Not only that, the coast is home to many fragile habitats that are rich in biodiversity, and these will become damaged as sea levels rise.
People will lose their homes
As sea levels rise further, claiming more land, more and more people will become displaced, especially in coastal communities. As a result, they will be forced to move further inland to try and build a new life for themselves.
However, even life further inland is threatened by sea level rise. Rising seas can contaminate soil and groundwater with salt, which is very harmful.
Salt contamination from seawater causes major issues
When sea salt contaminates the soil, it leaves less land available for agriculture as nothing is able to grow in these soils. As a result, people lose their livelihoods and crops begin to fail as the issue spreads further.
It can also affect drinking water as, for many of us, our water comes from fresh groundwater reservoirs. This supply of freshwater becomes contaminated with salt as sea water rises further. And, as all living things rely on water, life in such areas becomes incredibly difficult when there is less freshwater available.
What evidence is there for rising sea levels? The estimated global sea level rise over the last several decades is based on data from tide gauge records, as well as satellite data and estimates of certain contributions, such as melting ice sheets. Church and White analysed data from these tide gauge and satellite records in 2011. They corrected the data to allow for vertical movement of the Earth’s crust and still found that sea levels rose at a rate of 1.7 ± 0.2 mm a year from 1900 to 1990. They also confirmed the increased rate of 2.8 ± 0.8 mm a year between 1990 and 2009. Two separate studies by Hansen et al. (2016), and Golledge et al. (2019) have created models that provide evidence that climate change increases the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet, resulting in sea level rise. From the models, they also predict a similar trend with the Greenland ice sheet, which would disrupt the North Atlantic Gulfstream and greatly affect the climate of northwestern Europe. Unfortunately, this will only exacerbate the issue of rising sea levels. Is there anything I can do? Since global warming is the biggest factor influencing sea level rise, the best way for you to do your part is to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. If you avoid air travel as much as possible, this will have a positive impact as air travel has one of the largest carbon footprints. Where possible, use the train instead. It takes longer but it makes for a more pleasant journey. Closer to home, you could use your car less. Cars contribute a lot to greenhouse gas emissions, so cutting back on their use will make a real difference. Public transport or car pooling with multiple people can help. Or you could walk and get in your 10,000 steps for the day. Eating less meat, especially red meat, can also reduce your personal carbon footprint. The meat industry is a particularly high producer of greenhouse gas, but cutting back meat consumption can help. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go vegetarian; small lifestyle changes can make a world of difference. Many people already take part in Meat Free Mondays to do their bit for the planet. Reducing emissions will improve the planet’s overall health and reduce the impact that climate change is having on sea levels. But it’s a tricky issue. It will take time before we see any improvement and, even if greenhouse gas emissions cease, sea levels will continue to rise for a while. In fact, it’s estimated that, even with no emissions, sea levels will rise 0.7 to 1.2 m between 2000 and 2300.
Sea levels continue to rise at an ever increasing rate. But we shouldn't give up. Even though it’ll take some time and we won’t see the improvement for ourselves, it’s important that we act now for future generations and for the future of our planet as a whole. If not, the trend of sea level rise will continue unchallenged, and will inevitably have an even bigger impact.
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