The Global Sea Level - Term Paper Example

Sur May 7, Global Sea Level to Rise as Much as 70 Feet for Future Generations Introduction: Several studies have and are being conducted on the issue of the rise in the global sea level for the future generations to as much as 70 feet. It has been derived from studies that the future rise in the sea level has been warned of in rocks found around 3 million years ago. There was a time around 3 million years ago when the climatic conditions on earth matched with that of the current times. Sea levels had been at a height of 66 feet. Ice sheets were missing in Greenland and in the western regions of Antarctica. The huge ice sheet covering the eastern part of Antarctica was also responsible for the increasing level of the sea. Several controversies and studies have been ongoing on an understanding of how the ice sheets melt and increase the level of the sea (Parry). The present study focuses on the issue and discussion of the rising level of the sea as much as 70 feet for the future generations, which is a matter of serious concern for the world as a whole. Global Sea Level to Rise as Much as 70 Feet for Future Generations: Research studies have reflected on the issue of increasing level of the sea in the future that may be around 40-7 feet higher than in the present times. Even if the world becomes successful in limiting the global warming on earth, yet such a possibility remains significant, as research studies have revealed. A research team had been led by Kenneth G. Miller, a professor of earth and planetary sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University, for the study of the levels of sea and the possible consequences of such a situation. The team made studies on rocks and parts of soil in the regions of Virginia, Eniwetok Atoll located in the Pacific and New Zealand, and concluded their studies (“Global Sea Level Likely to Rise as Much as 70 Feet for Future Generations”). It has been observed that the melting of the entire ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica as well as some parts of the East Antarctic ice sheets show the difference in the volumes of the sea waters reflecting the contribution of the ice melting to the increasing sea level. It has been found that such increases in the level of the seas would swamp the coasts across the world. This situation has the capability of affecting the lives of almost 70 percent of the world population. It has also been estimated that such melting of the ice sheets would require hundreds to thousands of years of time. The existing course for the 21st century global increase of sea level is 2 to 3 feet owing to oceans warming up, partial melting of mountain glaciers, and partial melting of Greenland and Antarctica (“Global Sea Level Likely to Rise as Much as 70 Feet for Future Generations”). Miller in his studies also focused on the fact that the great ice sheets in the earth are highly sensitive to changes in temperatures. Hence even a mild change in temperature has the ability to increase the levels of the sea to greater extents. According to him, with the present levels of carbon dioxide, the natural condition of the earth reflects sea levels that are up to 20 meters higher than normal state (“Global Sea Level Likely to Rise as Much as 70 Feet for Future Generations”). Antarctic and Greenland are the only ice sheets that are present in the current times. The ice sheet of the Antarctica has been found to be the largest ice sheet on earth representing a single piece of ice mass. The ice sheet of Greenland occupies about 82% of the plane of Greenland. Melting of this ice sheet might cause increase in sea levels by as much as 7.2 metres. The rate of melting of the Greenland ice sheet has been found to be about 239 cubic kilometres in a year on average (“Ice Sheet”). Sea Level and the Climate on Earth: The global rise in the level of the sea has been found to have a significant linkage with the climate on the earth. In the last 100 years, the climate of the earth has been increased by 1 degree Celsius. After the Little Ice Age in the 19th century, the level of the sea has been increasing about 1 to 2 millimetres every year owing to the decrease in volume of ice caps, ice fields, and mountain glaciers accompanied by thermal expansion of ocean water. Since then it had been a matter of concern since if such a trend would follow, along with rising global warming, then several mountain glaciers would be found to be missing over the years (Poore, Williams, and Tracey). Such a situation might be called for concern since gradual increase and increasing rates of melting of ice sheets as well as global warming can lead to several damages to the world as a whole. If the situation gets uncontrolled, major parts of the earth might be destroyed under the influence of the melting ice and increasing level of the seas and oceans. Other Sides of the Concern: Although some research studies might have reflected on the concerns for the increasing level of the sea to as much as 70 feet, however, other activists of the climate researches have found that the source of concern for the increasing levels of sea would be removed away. Studies reveal that the majority of the human population and their evolution are at not more than 70 feet distance from the ground. It reflects on the destruction of the industrial global economy. In such circumstances, the human beings would not require to be removed but their high-energy, highest waste economy will sink (Lundberg). However, the concerns are still greater and future sea level changes are significantly studied for the future generations. Future Sea Level Changes: Level of the sea might rise through rise in temperatures since high temperatures lead to expansions of ocean water, melting of mountain glaciers and small ice caps, as well as causing coastal parts of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to melt or slide into the ocean. Rising temperatures might also increase the level of snowfall in the regions of Greenland and Antarctica. If there is such an increase in the level of the snowfall, then the parts of the sea experiencing increasing levels of water might be offset against other factors since the added snow is composed of water that would otherwise be added in the ocean (“Future Sea Level Changes”). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had estimated that the global average level of the seas would increase by 7.2, to 23.6 inches, as reflected through the following figure: Figure 1: The figure reflects the past and projected global average sea level. The gray shaded area shows the estimates of sea level change from 1800 to 1870 when measurements were not available. The red line is a reconstruction of sea level change measured by tide gauges with the surrounding shaded area depicting the uncertainty. The green line shows sea level change as measured by satellite. The purple shaded area represents the range of model projections for a medium growth emissions scenario (IPCC SRES A1B). For reference, 100mm is about 4 inches. Source: IPCC (2007) (“Future Sea Level Changes”). With the passage of time, the changes in the sea level have become more substantial and a matter of significant concern since the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica have become highly vulnerable. There are, however, several uncertainties as well associated with the degree and speed of the changes in sea levels (“Future Sea Level Changes”). These uncertainties include: The Ice Sheet in the regions of West Antarctica holds adequate ice to increase the level of the sea by 5-6 meters (17-20 feet). Potential unsteadiness in the ice sheet could permit it to slither into the oceans following an unremitting warming; otherwise other factors could be responsible for the increased sea level. A small chance has also been obtained that the disintegration of this ice sheet might occur within a few centuries; however the reaction of the ice sheet to future change in climate is in doubt and a continuous topic of argument (“Future Sea Level Changes”). The Ice Sheet of Greenland holds a sufficient amount of ice to elevate the level of the sea by about 7 meters (23 feet). Even though it is by now contributing to sea level increase (from melting), it does not have the same unsteadiness like that of Antarctica that has the ability to affect in a fast disintegration. Most model projections imply that an ongoing melting over million years could be associated with the sustained climate warming on earth, and hence the rising sea levels (“Future Sea Level Changes”). Possible Consequences of Sea Level Increase in the Future: Several causes are responsible for a rising temperature on the surface of the earth. This includes the build-up of carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, increasing the temperature. The rising sea level resultant from the melting of ice sheets is also as consequence of such increasing temperatures of the earth. Retreating glaciers, increase in average global sea levels as well as other changes in the sea levels and the atmosphere are matters of significant concern for the earth in the present times since these effects might cause significant damages for the human population as a whole. With the sea waters getting heated up, that also leads to expansion of the seas increasing the levels. Warm water always occupies higher volumes than cold waters. Measurements have pointed out that the global increase in the sea levels has augmented between 10 and 25 centimetres during the 20th century period of time. However, with the passage of time, the rates have been found to have increased, creating more concerns (Lang 145-146). Conclusion: While concluding the study, it can be said that the issues regarding the rising sea level have created significant concerns across the world. While there are studies focusing on the increase of the sea level to as much as 70 feet for future generations, other studies reflect lesser worries concerned with the subject. However, there are records of measurements that reflect the increasing rates of the rising temperatures and rising sea levels, the missing glaciers and the melting of the huge ice sheets. Hence, keeping all these factors in mind, the concerns for the increasing levels of the sea remain, considering the significant impacts that it might have on the human population and the world as a whole. Works Cited “Future Sea Level Changes.” EPA. 2011. Web. May 11, 2012. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/futureslc.html. “Global Sea Level Likely to Rise as Much as 70 Feet for Future Generations.” Sciencedaily. Web. 2012, May 11, 2012. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120319134202.htm “Ice Sheet.” Sciencedaily. 2010. Web. May 11, 2012. http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/i/ice_sheet.htm Lang, Kenneth R. The Cambridge Guide to the Solar System. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print. Lundberg, Jan. “Good news? Global Sea Level Likely to Rise As Much As 70 Feet for Future Generations. Culturechange. 2012. Web. May 11, 2012. http://www.culturechange.org/cms/content/view/831/65/ Parry, Wynne. “Future Sea-Level Rise Foreshadowed in 3-Million-Year-Old Rocks.” Livescience. 2012. Web. May 10, 2012. http://www.livescience.com/19212-sea-level-rise-ancient-future.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Livesciencecom+%28LiveScience.com+Science+Headline+Feed%29 Poore, Richard Z., Richard S. Williams, and Christopher Tracey. “Sea Level and Climate.” USGS. N.d. Web. May 11, 2012. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs2-00/. Read More