Sea level rise
Even if global warming is miraculously limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that sea levels will rise dramatically, saying warming could spell death for some countries. accident
Key Points
The Secretary-General noted, “Every fraction of a degree matters because a 2 degree Celsius rise in temperatures will double sea level, and it will rise exponentially as temperatures rise.”
Speaking at the start of a United Nations Security Council meeting on sea level rise involving 75 countries, Guterres said on Tuesday that “the council will play a key role in mobilising support for action to combat climate change.”
“In this scenario, countries such as Bangladesh, China, India, and the Netherlands are at risk, and major cities on every continent will be severely affected, including Cairo, Lagos, Maputo, Bangkok, Dhaka, Jakarta, Mumbai, and Shanghai.” “Copenhagen, London, Los Angeles, New York, Buenos Aires, and Santiago,” he added.
The World Meteorological Organization released figures on Tuesday that Guterres cited, showing that global sea levels would rise by an average of two to three metres in 2,000 years if warming were limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
A rise of two degrees Celsius could raise the sea level by six meters.
A rise of five degrees Celsius could lead to a 22-meter rise in sea level, according to the World Organization.
On Sea Level Rise, July, 1953
In recent years, there has been considerable research and debate about sea level rise across the planet, and studies of sea level rise and coastal erosion are ongoing in Prince Edward Island. Estimates of the amount of increase caused by glacier and ice melting in the North and South Polar Regions have varied, with estimates released after extensive research and modeling.
Article about this topic was published in July 1953, almost 70 years ago.
“Recordings on tide gauges and geodetic surveys of the coast since the 1930s show that along the 1,000-mile (1,600 km) stretch from Maine to Florida and along the Gulf of Mexico coast, sea level rise has been slow. Between 1930 and 1950, there was a constant minimum of 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm). This is nothing new. Over a long period of time, ocean waters came over North America several times, then retreated into their basin. In fact, this sea level rise has been noted all over the planet and may be due to receding glaciers and ice fields.
Assume this continent rises 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters), and experts say we have enough ice fields and glaciers to bury our entire Atlantic coast, with its cities, towns, and villages, under water: 600 feet (183 meters). The rise will submerge half of the continent, and the wheat fields of western Canada will return to their former state—the bottom of the sea. Of course, we need not worry about such a disaster in our day. But this has happened not just once but many times in the past, and there is no logical reason why it won’t happen again. Winds of great speed are needed to move the largest ocean waves. “Get” is a nautical term and means that waves run a distance under the drive of a strong wind. It is not uncommon to travel from 600 to 800 miles (965 to 1287 km).
Source: Guardian newspaper, July 23, 1953
