WHY ARE SEA LEVELS RISING AND WHAT EFFECTS WILL THAT HAVE ON COASTAL AREAS?

About 3.7 million Americans live in danger of rising sea levels. Coastal flooding could become a one-in-a-few-years occurrence by the mid-2000s.

The lower 3.3 feet could be completely submerged soon, possibly by 2100.

As sea water comes further inland, it causes erosion, wetland flooding, water and soil contamination, and a loss of habitat for fish, birds, and plants. Additionally, it was cause more severe storms and hurricanes.

The three main factors of the rising sea levels are thermal expansion, melting of glaciers and polar icecaps, and the loss of ice in Greenland and West Antarctica.

The average global rise has been about 8 inches since 1880, but in some areas such as Louisiana, the land is also sinking, so it is rising even higher. The rise has accelerated to the rate of a foot per century.

The burning of fossil fuels has increased the amount of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, causing the Earth's surface temperatures to rise. The oceans absorb about 80% of this heat.

Dear Professor Bamber,Hello. My name is Charlotte and I am a seventh grade student at Nagel Middle School. My class has been researching individual topics about climate change. My topic has been the causes and effects of rising sea levels. I have done some research and comprised two questions that I would like to ask your expertise on. 1. What efforts are being made to try and lower or stop sea levels rising?2. What will happen to the people living on the affected coasts?Thank you for your time.Sincerely, Charlotte

NO REPLY.

Gillis, Justin. "Sea Level Rise Seen as Threat To 3.7 Million." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 Mar. 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2013.

"The Ocean." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.

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