Is the sea level rise unusual?
$begingroup$
I'm discussing climate change with a friend who is a climate change denier, basically the argument is that looking at this graph, is not clear that something unusual is going on, so the sea level rise is just something that was there, all natural not caused by human activity. Could you please explain this ?
climate-change sea-level
edited 46 mins ago
Camilo Rada
9,34532967
asked 1 hour ago
SamurakaSamuraka
161
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Samuraka is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
I'm discussing climate change with a friend who is a climate change denier, basically the argument is that looking at this graph, is not clear that something unusual is going on, so the sea level rise is just something that was there, all natural not caused by human activity. Could you please explain this ?
climate-change sea-level
edited 46 mins ago
Camilo Rada
9,34532967
asked 1 hour ago
SamurakaSamuraka
161
New contributor
Samuraka is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
Not well researched enough for a proper answer, but: The data fits what the models predict (where the reasons are heat expansion and melting due to the warming climate). Caveat: The models' parameters are edjusted precisely so that they fit past data, but should then provide reasonable estimates for the future. The basic data and mechanisms are not in doubt.
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
34 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I'm discussing climate change with a friend who is a climate change denier, basically the argument is that looking at this graph, is not clear that something unusual is going on, so the sea level rise is just something that was there, all natural not caused by human activity. Could you please explain this ?
climate-change sea-level
edited 46 mins ago
Camilo Rada
9,34532967
asked 1 hour ago
SamurakaSamuraka
161
New contributor
Samuraka is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
I'm discussing climate change with a friend who is a climate change denier, basically the argument is that looking at this graph, is not clear that something unusual is going on, so the sea level rise is just something that was there, all natural not caused by human activity. Could you please explain this ?
climate-change sea-level
climate-change sea-level
edited 46 mins ago
Camilo Rada
9,34532967
asked 1 hour ago
SamurakaSamuraka
161
New contributor
Samuraka is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 46 mins ago
Camilo Rada
9,34532967
asked 1 hour ago
SamurakaSamuraka
161
New contributor
Samuraka is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 46 mins ago
Camilo Rada
9,34532967
edited 46 mins ago
Camilo Rada
9,34532967
edited 46 mins ago
Camilo Rada
9,34532967
9,34532967
asked 1 hour ago
SamurakaSamuraka
161
New contributor
Samuraka is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 1 hour ago
SamurakaSamuraka
161
asked 1 hour ago
SamurakaSamuraka
161
161
New contributor
Samuraka is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Samuraka is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Samuraka is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$begingroup$
Not well researched enough for a proper answer, but: The data fits what the models predict (where the reasons are heat expansion and melting due to the warming climate). Caveat: The models' parameters are edjusted precisely so that they fit past data, but should then provide reasonable estimates for the future. The basic data and mechanisms are not in doubt.
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
34 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Not well researched enough for a proper answer, but: The data fits what the models predict (where the reasons are heat expansion and melting due to the warming climate). Caveat: The models' parameters are edjusted precisely so that they fit past data, but should then provide reasonable estimates for the future. The basic data and mechanisms are not in doubt.
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
34 mins ago
$begingroup$
Not well researched enough for a proper answer, but: The data fits what the models predict (where the reasons are heat expansion and melting due to the warming climate). Caveat: The models' parameters are edjusted precisely so that they fit past data, but should then provide reasonable estimates for the future. The basic data and mechanisms are not in doubt.
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
34 mins ago
$begingroup$
Not well researched enough for a proper answer, but: The data fits what the models predict (where the reasons are heat expansion and melting due to the warming climate). Caveat: The models' parameters are edjusted precisely so that they fit past data, but should then provide reasonable estimates for the future. The basic data and mechanisms are not in doubt.
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
34 mins ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
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$begingroup$
The problem is the increase in the rate of sea level rise. I pulled out some approximate numbers out of the figure you presented:
Can you see now how the sea level is rising much faster today than a century ago?
Sea level rise, as well as climate change are normal things on Earth history. However, most times they happen at a very slow rate, allowing ecosystems and other processes to adapt to the change.
For example, if the climate changes over several hundreds of years, animals and even tree populations can "move" towards the side of their distribution where climate is still good for them. But if the climate changes in 50 years, all the trees can die before they had time to grow in the areas where they could thrive in the new climate.
In the case of sea level rise. The delta of a river for example, stays in equilibrium with the sea level because of the accumulation of sediments carried by the river. If the sea level rises slowly, the sediments can fill the delta and keep it roughly at sea level. But if the see level rises too quick for the sedimentation to keep up, it will be flooded by the sea, killing all the animals and people that live on such fertile environments.
Analogously, coastal infrastructure have a given lifetime. Let's say 50 years. If the sea level doesn't change much over that period (8.5 cm at the 1880-1940 rate), there is no problem. Once the infrastructure gets replaced, the new building will be set a bit higher.
But in the next 50 years, the sea level could rise 50 cm, or more (19 cm if we assume the last rate from the figure won't increase any further), and that is a big deal. That could mean that much coastal infrastructure will be flooded, and maybe destroyed during storms.
In places like Bangladesh there are hundred of millions of people that could be displaced due to sea level rise if the rate keeps increasing. People that will also need to find a new home.
Coastal infrastructure loss, coastal erosion and immigration could be some of the worst expressions of fast sea level rise.
answered 55 mins ago
Camilo RadaCamilo Rada
9,34532967
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$begingroup$
The problem is the increase in the rate of sea level rise. I pulled out some approximate numbers out of the figure you presented:
Can you see now how the sea level is rising much faster today than a century ago?
Sea level rise, as well as climate change are normal things on Earth history. However, most times they happen at a very slow rate, allowing ecosystems and other processes to adapt to the change.
For example, if the climate changes over several hundreds of years, animals and even tree populations can "move" towards the side of their distribution where climate is still good for them. But if the climate changes in 50 years, all the trees can die before they had time to grow in the areas where they could thrive in the new climate.
In the case of sea level rise. The delta of a river for example, stays in equilibrium with the sea level because of the accumulation of sediments carried by the river. If the sea level rises slowly, the sediments can fill the delta and keep it roughly at sea level. But if the see level rises too quick for the sedimentation to keep up, it will be flooded by the sea, killing all the animals and people that live on such fertile environments.
Analogously, coastal infrastructure have a given lifetime. Let's say 50 years. If the sea level doesn't change much over that period (8.5 cm at the 1880-1940 rate), there is no problem. Once the infrastructure gets replaced, the new building will be set a bit higher.
But in the next 50 years, the sea level could rise 50 cm, or more (19 cm if we assume the last rate from the figure won't increase any further), and that is a big deal. That could mean that much coastal infrastructure will be flooded, and maybe destroyed during storms.
In places like Bangladesh there are hundred of millions of people that could be displaced due to sea level rise if the rate keeps increasing. People that will also need to find a new home.
Coastal infrastructure loss, coastal erosion and immigration could be some of the worst expressions of fast sea level rise.
answered 55 mins ago
Camilo RadaCamilo Rada
9,34532967
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The problem is the increase in the rate of sea level rise. I pulled out some approximate numbers out of the figure you presented:
Can you see now how the sea level is rising much faster today than a century ago?
Sea level rise, as well as climate change are normal things on Earth history. However, most times they happen at a very slow rate, allowing ecosystems and other processes to adapt to the change.
For example, if the climate changes over several hundreds of years, animals and even tree populations can "move" towards the side of their distribution where climate is still good for them. But if the climate changes in 50 years, all the trees can die before they had time to grow in the areas where they could thrive in the new climate.
In the case of sea level rise. The delta of a river for example, stays in equilibrium with the sea level because of the accumulation of sediments carried by the river. If the sea level rises slowly, the sediments can fill the delta and keep it roughly at sea level. But if the see level rises too quick for the sedimentation to keep up, it will be flooded by the sea, killing all the animals and people that live on such fertile environments.
Analogously, coastal infrastructure have a given lifetime. Let's say 50 years. If the sea level doesn't change much over that period (8.5 cm at the 1880-1940 rate), there is no problem. Once the infrastructure gets replaced, the new building will be set a bit higher.
But in the next 50 years, the sea level could rise 50 cm, or more (19 cm if we assume the last rate from the figure won't increase any further), and that is a big deal. That could mean that much coastal infrastructure will be flooded, and maybe destroyed during storms.
In places like Bangladesh there are hundred of millions of people that could be displaced due to sea level rise if the rate keeps increasing. People that will also need to find a new home.
Coastal infrastructure loss, coastal erosion and immigration could be some of the worst expressions of fast sea level rise.
answered 55 mins ago
Camilo RadaCamilo Rada
9,34532967
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The problem is the increase in the rate of sea level rise. I pulled out some approximate numbers out of the figure you presented:
Can you see now how the sea level is rising much faster today than a century ago?
Sea level rise, as well as climate change are normal things on Earth history. However, most times they happen at a very slow rate, allowing ecosystems and other processes to adapt to the change.
For example, if the climate changes over several hundreds of years, animals and even tree populations can "move" towards the side of their distribution where climate is still good for them. But if the climate changes in 50 years, all the trees can die before they had time to grow in the areas where they could thrive in the new climate.
In the case of sea level rise. The delta of a river for example, stays in equilibrium with the sea level because of the accumulation of sediments carried by the river. If the sea level rises slowly, the sediments can fill the delta and keep it roughly at sea level. But if the see level rises too quick for the sedimentation to keep up, it will be flooded by the sea, killing all the animals and people that live on such fertile environments.
Analogously, coastal infrastructure have a given lifetime. Let's say 50 years. If the sea level doesn't change much over that period (8.5 cm at the 1880-1940 rate), there is no problem. Once the infrastructure gets replaced, the new building will be set a bit higher.
But in the next 50 years, the sea level could rise 50 cm, or more (19 cm if we assume the last rate from the figure won't increase any further), and that is a big deal. That could mean that much coastal infrastructure will be flooded, and maybe destroyed during storms.
In places like Bangladesh there are hundred of millions of people that could be displaced due to sea level rise if the rate keeps increasing. People that will also need to find a new home.
Coastal infrastructure loss, coastal erosion and immigration could be some of the worst expressions of fast sea level rise.
answered 55 mins ago
Camilo RadaCamilo Rada
9,34532967
$endgroup$
The problem is the increase in the rate of sea level rise. I pulled out some approximate numbers out of the figure you presented:
Can you see now how the sea level is rising much faster today than a century ago?
Sea level rise, as well as climate change are normal things on Earth history. However, most times they happen at a very slow rate, allowing ecosystems and other processes to adapt to the change.
For example, if the climate changes over several hundreds of years, animals and even tree populations can "move" towards the side of their distribution where climate is still good for them. But if the climate changes in 50 years, all the trees can die before they had time to grow in the areas where they could thrive in the new climate.
In the case of sea level rise. The delta of a river for example, stays in equilibrium with the sea level because of the accumulation of sediments carried by the river. If the sea level rises slowly, the sediments can fill the delta and keep it roughly at sea level. But if the see level rises too quick for the sedimentation to keep up, it will be flooded by the sea, killing all the animals and people that live on such fertile environments.
Analogously, coastal infrastructure have a given lifetime. Let's say 50 years. If the sea level doesn't change much over that period (8.5 cm at the 1880-1940 rate), there is no problem. Once the infrastructure gets replaced, the new building will be set a bit higher.
But in the next 50 years, the sea level could rise 50 cm, or more (19 cm if we assume the last rate from the figure won't increase any further), and that is a big deal. That could mean that much coastal infrastructure will be flooded, and maybe destroyed during storms.
In places like Bangladesh there are hundred of millions of people that could be displaced due to sea level rise if the rate keeps increasing. People that will also need to find a new home.
Coastal infrastructure loss, coastal erosion and immigration could be some of the worst expressions of fast sea level rise.
answered 55 mins ago
Camilo RadaCamilo Rada
9,34532967
answered 55 mins ago
Camilo RadaCamilo Rada
9,34532967
answered 55 mins ago
Camilo RadaCamilo Rada
9,34532967
answered 55 mins ago
Camilo RadaCamilo Rada
9,34532967
9,34532967
add a comment |
add a comment |
Samuraka is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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$begingroup$
Not well researched enough for a proper answer, but: The data fits what the models predict (where the reasons are heat expansion and melting due to the warming climate). Caveat: The models' parameters are edjusted precisely so that they fit past data, but should then provide reasonable estimates for the future. The basic data and mechanisms are not in doubt.
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
34 mins ago