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Magdalena Anguelova Ph.D. Student Advisor: Prof. Ferris Webster

in the. The Ocean. Climate. Sea Level Rise. System. 5 min. Magdalena Anguelova Ph.D. Student Advisor: Prof. Ferris Webster. 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. Rate of Rising.

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Magdalena Anguelova Ph.D. Student Advisor: Prof. Ferris Webster

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  1. in the The Ocean Climate Sea Level Rise System 5 min. Magdalena AnguelovaPh.D. Student Advisor: Prof. Ferris Webster

  2. 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.

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

  4. 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.

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

  6. 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.

  7. The Effects of Glacial Period • An enormous volume of water was removed from the oceans and was locked in ice sheets on the land.

  8. Glaciation Effects: Ice advancement • As the ice sheet advanced on the land...

  9. Glaciation Effects: Displaced Shoreline • ... the shoreline moved seaward.

  10. Glaciation Effect: Ice Compression • The ice weight compressed the land downward. • And ...

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

  12. Postglacial Rebound: Initial Flooding • As the ice melted during the deglaciation, sea level rose rapidly. • Bangor was flooded.

  13. Postglacial Rebound: Land Uplift • The land, unloaded from the massive ice sheets, started to uplift slowly.

  14. 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.

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

  16. 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.

  17. 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

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

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  21. Possible Sea Level Fall Snow petrels resting on a large iceberg near Adelaide island, Antarctic. • 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.

  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

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