Sea levels rise fast: 1 inch in 10 years

[Newsjock]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002371724_sealevel10.html

By Robert S. Boyd
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Melting ice and warming waters have raised average sea levels worldwide by more than an inch since 1995, new data from space satellites and robotic submarines have revealed.

That's twice as fast as the rate the oceans rose during the previous 50 years, ocean experts said yesterday. If the current rate continues or accelerates, as they say is likely, the world's seas will rise at least a foot by the end of this century, causing widespread flooding and erosion of islands and low-lying coastal areas.

"Even a small change will matter to a whole lot of coastal people," said Richard Alley, a geoscientist at Penn State University in State College. "If 15 percent of Greenland ice sheet were to melt, much of South Florida would be underwater."

... Until recently, for example, the Jakobshavn glacier, Greenland's largest, was shrinking 3 miles per year. But since 2002, it's been shedding up to 6 miles of ice per year, said Eric Rignot, an ice-sheet expert at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

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[Theduckno2]

1. Will this be the good news spin by Bush?

Rising sea levels will encroach on coastal ares, increasing competition for remaining high ground. This in turn maintain the real estate bubble in the US economy well into the 2100s. Global warming presents plenty of pro-growth opportunities for enterprising Americans.
Seriously though, the reminder of the fact that the warming of the oceans (with resultant expansion of the water) will also contribute to the raising of sea levels. Talk about a double whammy and Sec'y Snow lauding Canadian tar sand production (more CO2 produced). I'm up way too late for this, time to turn in. :boring:

[WCGreen]

2. I am glad you brought up the expansion of the Water...

But it could also bring on the shut off of the circulating currents that keep the northern hemisphere warm and habitable.....

[rooboy]

3. My first reaction is "Hmmmm.... time to buy!"

:evilgrin:

[unhappycamper]

4. Rising sea levels are the least of our problems.

As the ice melts, it reduces the salinity of sea water which means cold water off the coast of Greenland doesn't sink to the bottom of the ocean. The net effect will be to shut off the Gulf stream. No Gulf stream = ice age.

Google: ocean salinity gulf stream

FYI, ice ages appear to be a regular occurrence on planet Earth - about every 100,000 years or so we have them. So what's worse? A sheet of ice 2~3 miles thick or and extra meter or two of sea level?

[whitebear]

5. Scientist know

The problem with the earth getting warmer is it's warming faster than it naturally would if it was slowly coming out of an ice age.I suggest you do your homework.

And yes there are worse problems going on,but if we don't start looking long term,we will all eventually die,no matter what party,or race,or country we live in.:kick:

[Horse with no Name]

8. You are SOOOOO wrong

The earth is only 6000 years old.:sarcasm:

[damntexdem]

10. But the patterns could be different this time around, ...

because of human activity. The models are not accurate enough to even say whether the mid-term outcome will be warmer or cooler. That's why "global climate change" is actually more-accurate than "global warming," despite the fact that the right tries to use the former to frame the discussion. In fact, global climate change" is every-bit as threatening an idea as is "global warming." Unfortunately, most people apparently don't see it that way.

[reprobate]

12. The larger problem is that the Gulf Stream, part of the Atlantic Conveyor,

is only a part of the world wide ocean currents, which keep the planet temperate. The atlantic converyor moves south in the eastern atlantic and then into the indian ocean, to the pacific, where it then goes north to repeat the process in the pacific arctic region, eventually returning to the atlantic.

So a disruption in the atlantic conveyor can have the effect of stopping the engine that keeps our planet livable. You can thank corporate america for the coming problems of ice ages in the temporate areas today and desert conditions with massive droughts in the equatorial regions.

The only livable areas will be underground.

And if you personally do nothing to bring the corporate model down, you are contributing to the end of human society.

[NickB79]

13. The conveyor systems have changed extensively in the past

They've dealt with Ice Ages, natural global warming cycles, and plate tectonics for billions of years. I doubt the shutdown of the Atlantic Conveyor would render the planet's surface uninhabitable to life, even human life. However, I do think it will seriously cut down the number of humans currently inhabiting that surface.

[Massachusetts]

6. Man the OARS...secure the Poop Deck

[damntexdem]

11. It's hard to secure the poop deck when ...

Dubya and his corporate cronies keep spreading more poop on the deck.

[Gregorian]

7. Those liberal scientists!

It's not global warming. It's the hot air escaping from Limbaugh's face. Every time Pimpleass lies, the sea level raises one millionth of an inch. We could save the planet by sewing his mouth shut. Or he could do it himself by not lying. Come one Limbaugh, you can do it!

[damntexdem]

9. And the increased rate cannot be taken as a constant:

e.g., it could double again, and again. Warmer weather and higher seas can melt ice faster and faster.

[whitebear]

14. That's ok,Jesus is coming to save us.

:woohoo: