Rising seas

Glacier melting in Alaska flows into the Mendenhall River. Approximately 50% of the total river discharge in the summer is due to glacier melting (Motyka et al. 2002). 

An important feature of the Arctic Ocean is its floating sea-ice cover that has traditionally ranged from 16 million km in March to a minimum coverage of 7 million km at the end of summer melt season on September. Based on regression analysis during the period between 1979 and 2006, the ice extent (fractional ice cover) has declined every month. The decline is the largest during September with a retreat of 8.6 2.9% per decade or approximately 10,000 km per year (Serreze et al. 2007). 

Sea-level rise in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans has been studied in recent years. The sea level is influenced by thermal expansion of the oceans from the warmer temperatures, melting polar ice caps and glaciers, and the atmospheric changes caused by El Nino. Large variability during El Nino years and the shortness of many of the individual tide-gauge records contribute to uncertainty of historical rates of sea-level rise. 

From 1993 to 2001, the western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans experienced large rates of sea-level rise that approached 30 mm per year, whereas, the eastern Pacific and western Indian Oceans experienced a sea-level fall approaching -10 mm per year (Church et al. 2006). 

FIGURE 2.5 Rising sea waters example causing flooding of a home. Artwork courtesy 

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Fig. 4 Maximum salinity intrusions into the Delta at five year time intervals from 1945 to 1990 are shown. Drought conditions and rising sea level from climate change are predicted to increase salinity intrusions eastward into the Delta in the future...

Figure 8. TIMS ages of latest phase of growth of GB-89-23-2 (Richards et al. 1994). Outermost sample (ABTl n = 4) indistinguishable from ages of older material up to 10 mm inside outer surface of this stalactite. GB-89-23-2 was collected from a depth of 53.6 m below present sea level in Stargate, Andros, Bahamas, and was submerged since inundation by rising sea levels during the last deglaciation.

Any current warming of the earth is small and is probably quite normal climate variability, (2) There is no noticeable increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, (3) Talk of rising sea levels is alarmist and not supported by data, (4) Despite claims to the contrary, research shows that temperatures and carbon dioxide levels have been higher than today, (5) The current level of carbon dioxide is no cause for alarm,. . . and (7) An increase in the level of carbon dioxide is not the cause of global warming. 

Buddemeier R.W. and Smith S.V. (1988) Coral reef growth in an era of rapidly rising sea level Predictions and suggestions for long-term research. Coral Reefs 7,51-56. 

Nutfle, W., and Portnoy,. (1992). Effect of rising sea level on runoff and groundwater discharge to coastal ecosystems. Estuar. Coastal Shelf Sci. 34, 203—212. 

Figure 6 Extension of the tree-ring-based and Barbados coral-based calibration curve back to 3.2 X 10 yr based on and measurements on a stalagmite from a submerged cave in the Bahamas. The growth of the stalagmite came to a halt 1.1 X 10 yr ago when the rising sea invaded the cave. The upper portion of the record which overlaps in time the Barbados was used to establish the initial °Th Th ratio and also the reservoir correction for the ages (source Beck et al., 2001).

The abundance of coastal aeolianites of late Quaternary age may be a reflection of climate and sea level change associated with the last ice age. The lack of evidence of aeolianites outside of ice age conditions may be because, during warmer phases, rising sea levels resulted in significant... 

Boorman, L.A., Goss-Custard, J.D. S. McGrorty (1989) Climate change, rising sea level and the British Coast, ITE Research Publication no. 1, NERC, HMSO, London, 24 pp. 

Along with the increase in temperature by 2100 will come a rise in sea level of 15-95 cm.97 Glaciers and islands will shrink. More frequent extreme weather events such as droughts and floods are expected. A 1-m rise in sea level would threaten half of Japan s industrial areas. An estimated 118 million people may be at risk from the rising sea level.98 Many species of plants and animals will have to... 

Fio. 9. Map and section showing evolution of the salt marsh at Guilford Harbor, Connecticut. When sea level was several meters lower, a protective barrier of sand extended westward past B and the marsh formed behind this barrier. When sea level rose above the barrier, the face of the marsh began to retreat under the attack of waves leaving the erosion surface between B and A. Retreat of the exposed marsh face is continuing while the marsh surface simultaneously grows upward with rising sea level. 

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