Date: 2024-07-17 Page is: DBtxt003.php L0300-Sea-Level-Rise
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EXISTENTIAL RISK
SEA LEVEL RISE A huge risk associated with global warming and accelerating ice melt | ||
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SEA LEVEL RISE / MEASUREMENTS 1992 - 2016
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SEA LEVEL RISE / POPULATION AT RISK
Populations at risk because of sea level rise 
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SEA LEVEL RISE / INCREASED URBAN FLOODING
Graph showing the increase in flooding in Atlantic City due to climate change and sea level rise 
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3. ARCTIC SEA ICE IS DECREASING.
Satellite images from space show that the area covered by sea ice in the Arctic is shrinking, and it’s continued a downward trend for the past 30 years. The Arctic ice cap grows each winter when there’s less sunlight, and shrinks each summer when days are longer, reaching its lowest point of the year in September. Some research suggests that the Arctic could lose almost all of its summer ice cover by 2100, but others believe that it could melt completely much sooner than that – in just a few decades. | ||
4. GLACIERS ARE MELTING.
The disappearance of glaciers is one of the clearest signs of climate change. People who rely on melting glacier water are facing shortages, and in many regions, the situation is only getting worse. In a world unaffected by climate change, glacier mass stays balanced, meaning the ice that evaporates in the summer is fully replaced by snowfall in the winter. However, when more ice melts than is replaced, the glacier loses mass. And the people who depend on melting ice for water to support their farming and living needs are deeply affected. | ||
5. SEA LEVELS ARE RISING.
Sea levels have been rising for the past century. And the pace is only increasing in recent years as glaciers melt faster and water temperatures increase, causing oceans to expand. You can imagine how this would affect the almost 40 percent of the US population that lives in a highly populated coastal area. Let’s not forget that eight of the 10 largest cities in the world are near a coast. Consider how many millions of people are at risk as sea levels rise, storms intensify, and more extreme flooding occurs. Additionally, marine life is threatened as salt water intrudes into fresh water aquifers, many of which support human communities and natural ecosystems. | ||
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THE SIGNS ARE CLEAR. IT’S TIME TO TAKE ACTION
It’s difficult to argue against what’s happening once you’ve seen these 10 climate change indicators. That’s why it’s up to each and everyone one of us to do our part and help spread truthful information about climate change to our networks of friends, peers, and family members. | Open external link |