Global warming will trigger sea levels to rise a lot almost annually, as per new data. And as if it wasn’t enough, that will happen by the end of the century.
Major coastlines will be affected worldwide, and we might not be able to do anything. The new study comes with new predictions influenced by increasing temperatures.
By the looks of new data, we should start worrying.
Here is what you need to know.
Increased Sea Levels and Other Issues
Extreme sea levels along coastlines worldwide will increase 100 times more frequently, and that only by the end of the century. And that’s not all.
The regions where the frequency of increased sea levels are predicted to rise quicker include:
- the southern half of North America’s Pacific Coast;
- the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Peninsula;
- the Southern Hemisphere and subtropic parts;
- Hawaii;
- the Philippines;
- the Caribbean;
- Indonesia.
“This increased frequency of extreme sea levels will occur even with a global temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius; […] sooner than the end of the century, with many locations experiencing a 100-fold increase in extreme events even by 2070,” explained Dr Ebru Kirezci, an ocean engineering researchers and the co-author of the new study.
More worrying data
Researchers also said that the sea level rise would be high even at 1.5 degrees Celsius. What’s more unfortunate is that it will have sturdy impacts on extreme sea level magnitude and frequencies.
More work in the field is needed to determine how the changes will affect communities within various regions. Researchers explained that the new data show how the physical changes will have an impact at local scales. However, that depends on other factors, such as:
- how prepared a community is for any change;
- how vulnerable the region is to increasing sea levels.
We need to raise awareness about such things and support researchers’ work.
