Sea Level Rise Crisis - Research Paper Example

Global warming has given rise to the climate changes which is one of the most addressed global problems. Millions of people are getting influenced with the variations in the climate conditions which have affected the lifestyle of many individuals all over the world. Thanks to the introduction of the new technologies and the greater energy efficiency methods which have given birth to problems such as green houses gases affects, one of the many reasons behind the climate changes. “Over the last hundred years, the earth’s average temperature has increased by three quarters of a degree centigrade (1.3 F) this seemingly minor change may strike some people as inconsequential.

However if global warming adjusts just another 4 C (7F) or so to the atmospheric temperature, both Greenland and Antarctica can be on their way to meltdown” (Jerry 2008.) The extreme changes in the climate conditions couple with the green house gases emission will cause the glaciers to melt, which will as a result cause the sea water to heat and will expand thermally. One of the biggest threat imposed by global warming to the world is that of the rising sea levels, for which the consequences are going to be catastrophic.

As discussed above, the expansion of the sea water causes the sea level to increase, because the water warms up due to the constantly changing climatic conditions. Rate of change in the sea level from the year 1870-2000 was 1.70 mm whereas in comparison to this figure the rate of change in the sea level from 1993 to 2012 is 3.12 mm. (NASA 2012) As per the recent reports, one of the massive ice shelves of Antarctica are also decreasing because of the warm water that resides below the ice shelves.

Due to the shrinkage of the ice levels, the sea water level will start rising at a much faster rate than what the scientists have been predicting so far. The western chunk of Antarctica is losing 23 feet of its floating ice sheet each year. (Mail Online 2012) However after intense research, the scientists have been able to conclude that the rise in the sea level is directly associated with the thermal expansion, which is the water of the ocean getting warm causes it to expand. Secondly, the change in the sea level can also be associated with the land based ice which is melting at a rapid speed due to global warming and the emission of the green house gases.

Since most of the stored water on land is found in the form of glaciers and ice sheets, this means that melt down of these forms will directly result in the sea level increment. Rising sea level is a justification or rather a proof that the world today faces a threat from the anthropogenic (human based) warming contributions, which in the late 20th century has caused the sea level to rise to new levels. The contribution to the rising levels is associated with Greenland, Antarctica, and the melt down of other important ice sheets and glaciers.

The effects of the constant changes in the climate conditions and then the rising sea levels can have devastating effects on the human kind. As per the increases which have been mentioned above, it is also been shared that with respect to these changes, there will be a vast number of influences on the coastal systems. Coast erosion, changes in the quality of the water, high storm flooding are few of the many effects that this rise will bring along with itself. There will also be changes in the surface water quality which will result in the monetary losses as well as non monetary