2. Sea Level Rise Magdalena Anguelova Ph.D. Student Advisor: Prof. Ferris Webster Sea Level Rise 5 min.

3. Sea Level Rise 2 of 22 Is Sea Level Rising? Yes, the sea level is rising. Sea level has risen about 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) over the past century.

4. Sea Level Rise 3 of 22 Rate of Rising Sea level will continue to rise. The important question is: Will global warming increase the rate of sea- level rise?

5. Sea Level Rise 4 of 22 Impact Sea level rising will impact coastal areas: » Coastline retreat; » Inundation of cities, ports, and wetlands; » Beach erosion ; » Saltwater intrusion into coastal freshwaters. Cape Henlopen Lighthouse, Lewes, fell in the sea in 1926 due to longterm shoreline retreat.

6. Sea Level Rise 5 of 22 » Several mm/yr fall in parts of Alaska. Sea Level Along the U. S. Coast Along most of the U. S. coast, sea level has been rising 2.5-3 mm/yr. » About 1 cm/yr rise on the Louisiana Coast; The rate varies:

7. Sea Level Rise 6 of 22 Factors Affecting Sea Level Rise Postglacial rebound; Global warming effects:  Heat expansion of the ocean;  Melting of mountain glaciers;  Melting of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

8. Sea Level Rise 7 of 22 The Effects of Glacial Period An enormous volume of water was removed from the oceans and was locked in ice sheets on the land.

9. Sea Level Rise 8 of 22 Glaciation Effects: Ice advancement As the ice sheet advanced on the land...

10. Sea Level Rise 9 of 22... the shoreline moved seaward. Glaciation Effects: Displaced Shoreline

11. Sea Level Rise 10 of 22 Glaciation Effect: Ice Compression The ice weight compressed the land downward. And...

12. Sea Level Rise 11 of 22 Glaciation Effect: Low Sea Level... the sea level dropped about 130 m. Bangor, Maine, is an example.

13. Sea Level Rise 12 of 22 Postglacial Rebound: Initial Flooding As the ice melted during the deglaciation, sea level rose rapidly. Bangor was flooded.

14. Sea Level Rise 13 of 22 Postglacial Rebound: Land Uplift The land, unloaded from the massive ice sheets, started to uplift slowly.

15. Sea Level Rise 14 of 22 Postglacial Rebound When the rate of land uplift exceeded the rate of sea- level rise due to ice melting, the seas retreated from the Bangor region again.

16. Sea Level Rise 15 of 22 Postglacial Rebound Since deglaciation, the Nordic countries have undergone an uplift of up to 250 m. Postglacial rebound continues in Northern Europe.

17. Sea Level Rise 16 of 22 Global Warming Effects: Heat Expansion of the Ocean With global warming, the temperature of the ocean would increase; Like many other substances, seawater expands when heated.

18. Sea Level Rise 17 of 22 Global Warming Effects: Melting of Polar Ice Ice at the North Pole is floating on the ocean and melting there due to global warming would not affect sea level. Arctic Iceberg in Spring. Alaska, USA

19. Sea Level Rise 18 of 22 Global Warming Effects: Ice Sheets and Glaciers Mountain glaciers and ice in Greenland and Antarctic are, thus, a cause for concern. However, melting of ice resting on land would add to sea level. Crowfoot Glacier Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada Ice sheet in Antarctica

20. Sea Level Rise 19 of 22 Global Warming Effects: Mountain Glaciers Mountain glaciers have been shrinking for the past century; Glaciers on Mont Blanc Haute-Savoie, France The water released into streams and rivers is being added to the sea.

21. Sea Level Rise 20 of 22 To Summarize… The current sea level rise is due to: » Thermal expansion -- about 5 cm (2”); » Melting of small glaciers and the ice edges of Greenland and Antarctica -- another 5 cm.

22. Sea Level Rise 21 of 22 Possible Sea Level Fall Antarctic ice may accumulate and lower sea level. Global warming might melt the ice at the edges of Antarctica. But warm air will carry more moisture, which will then precipitate as snow in the interior of Antarctica. Snow petrels resting on a large iceberg near Adelaide island, Antarctic.

23. Sea Level Rise 22 of 22 What to Expect? About 70 cm! A possible rise over the next century is from: » Small glaciers melting -- about 40 cm; » Thermal expansion -- about 30 cm. The End