Global warming isn’t stopping because people know that it exists. Climate change isn’t becoming less problematic because more politicians are getting on-board with changes that can reduce the overall output of carbon emissions. Each week, more studies are being published that reveal the troubling nature of global warming, and how humans are impacting the Earth we call home. The latest study, which was published in Nature Climate Change, a scientific journal covering climate issues, revealed just how quickly sea level rise is increasing throughout the word.
By and large, people tend to associate the poles with climate change because a lot of studies have focused on the damage that is being done to the poles when it comes to climate change. However, this study reveals that sea level rise all around the world is happening at a far faster clip than anyone had previously imagined. The findings were relatively simple.
It was found that sea level rise was largely associated with shrinking ice masses. However, it’s where and how those ice masses were shrinking, over the last decade-and-a-half that had scientists so concerned. It wasn’t just one part of the Earth, or one pole that was melting at a faster rate. Instead, polar ice from the extreme north, and extreme south were both melting at incredibly quick speeds.
As with anything scientific, there have been studies over the course of the last few years, which have tried to contradict the findings of this particular study. However, while some have been trying to point out that global sea rise was slowing or at least declining from previous highs, this study puts that to rest.
The study found that water levels are rising between 2.6 and 2.9 millimeters a year in the last two decades. Similarly, it found that the rise is consistent with the level of melting that is taking place in the north and south – echoing the concerns that many conservationists have had over the last several decades.
Christopher Watson, a University of Tasmania geodesist, who was a co-author on this particular study, pointed out that, “Accelerating sea level is a massive issue for the coastal zone — the once-in-a-lifetime inundation events will become far more frequent, and adaptation will need to occur. Agencies need to fully consider the impact of accelerating sea level and plan accordingly.” The issues that could arise are not political, and the true problems humanity could face down the road is slight compared to the damage that is being done, which could prove irreversible once our coastlines around the world start to disappear.
