SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
In a new study published Feb. 12, scientists found that global sea level rise is accelerating each year. (Photo: Andrew/Flickr/cc)
'Game-Changer': Confirming Fears, Satellites Show Fast-Rising Seas
"This acceleration, driven mainly by accelerated melting in Greenland and Antarctica, has the potential to double the total sea level rise by 2100."
Feb 13, 2018
As the Trump White House continues to advocate for the increased use of fossil fuels for energy--while every single other nation on Earth has committed to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions that are driving global warming--scientists have found that global sea level rise is accelerating each year.
"We are already seeing signs of ice sheet instability in Greenland and Antarctica, so if they experience rapid changes, then we would likely see more than 65 centimeters of sea level rise by 2100."
--Steve Nerem, lead author
Rather than using the typical tide-gauge data, a team of scientists from across the U.S. turned to satellite data from the past 25 years to study the annual rate of global sea level rise.
They found that oceans are encroaching on coastlines worldwide at a greater pace with every passing year, as detailed in a report (pdf) published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Due to greenhouse gas emissions, largely generated by modern agricultural and dirty energy practices, the planet's warming atmosphere and oceans are causing ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica to melt quickly, which the researchers say is producing "climate-change driven accelerated sea level rise."
"It's a big deal," said the study's lead author, Steve Nerem of the University of Colorado Boulder, because these findings indicate that the data-based projections from past studies that relied on a constant rate of sea level rise are too conservative.
"This acceleration, driven mainly by accelerated melting in Greenland and Antarctica, has the potential to double the total sea level rise by 2100," Nerem explained, "as compared to projections that assume a constant rate, to more than 60 centimeters instead of about 30," or about two feet instead of about one.
In fact, "65 centimeters is probably on the low end for 2100, since it assumes the rate and acceleration we have seen over the last 25 years continues for the next 82 years," Nerem added. "We are already seeing signs of ice sheet instability in Greenland and Antarctica, so if they experience rapid changes, then we would likely see more than 65 centimeters of sea level rise by 2100."
The study provides a "data-driven assessment of sea level change" that backs up climate models that were used in the most recent International Panel on Climate Change report (pdf), which showed oceans rising 52 to 98 centimenters by the end of this century.
"The acceleration predicted by the models has now been detected directly from the observations," noted study co-author Gary Mitchum of Florida's College of Marine Science. "I think this is a game-changer as far as the climate change discussion goes."
The findings elicited calls for the United States to get onboard with the rest of the world and recommit to the Paris Climate Agreement, and for other nations to take more drastic and urgent steps to reduce emissions.
Others responded with jabs directed at those who actively deny the problem and refuse to address global warming:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As the Trump White House continues to advocate for the increased use of fossil fuels for energy--while every single other nation on Earth has committed to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions that are driving global warming--scientists have found that global sea level rise is accelerating each year.
"We are already seeing signs of ice sheet instability in Greenland and Antarctica, so if they experience rapid changes, then we would likely see more than 65 centimeters of sea level rise by 2100."
--Steve Nerem, lead author
Rather than using the typical tide-gauge data, a team of scientists from across the U.S. turned to satellite data from the past 25 years to study the annual rate of global sea level rise.
They found that oceans are encroaching on coastlines worldwide at a greater pace with every passing year, as detailed in a report (pdf) published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Due to greenhouse gas emissions, largely generated by modern agricultural and dirty energy practices, the planet's warming atmosphere and oceans are causing ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica to melt quickly, which the researchers say is producing "climate-change driven accelerated sea level rise."
"It's a big deal," said the study's lead author, Steve Nerem of the University of Colorado Boulder, because these findings indicate that the data-based projections from past studies that relied on a constant rate of sea level rise are too conservative.
"This acceleration, driven mainly by accelerated melting in Greenland and Antarctica, has the potential to double the total sea level rise by 2100," Nerem explained, "as compared to projections that assume a constant rate, to more than 60 centimeters instead of about 30," or about two feet instead of about one.
In fact, "65 centimeters is probably on the low end for 2100, since it assumes the rate and acceleration we have seen over the last 25 years continues for the next 82 years," Nerem added. "We are already seeing signs of ice sheet instability in Greenland and Antarctica, so if they experience rapid changes, then we would likely see more than 65 centimeters of sea level rise by 2100."
The study provides a "data-driven assessment of sea level change" that backs up climate models that were used in the most recent International Panel on Climate Change report (pdf), which showed oceans rising 52 to 98 centimenters by the end of this century.
"The acceleration predicted by the models has now been detected directly from the observations," noted study co-author Gary Mitchum of Florida's College of Marine Science. "I think this is a game-changer as far as the climate change discussion goes."
The findings elicited calls for the United States to get onboard with the rest of the world and recommit to the Paris Climate Agreement, and for other nations to take more drastic and urgent steps to reduce emissions.
Others responded with jabs directed at those who actively deny the problem and refuse to address global warming:
As the Trump White House continues to advocate for the increased use of fossil fuels for energy--while every single other nation on Earth has committed to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions that are driving global warming--scientists have found that global sea level rise is accelerating each year.
"We are already seeing signs of ice sheet instability in Greenland and Antarctica, so if they experience rapid changes, then we would likely see more than 65 centimeters of sea level rise by 2100."
--Steve Nerem, lead author
Rather than using the typical tide-gauge data, a team of scientists from across the U.S. turned to satellite data from the past 25 years to study the annual rate of global sea level rise.
They found that oceans are encroaching on coastlines worldwide at a greater pace with every passing year, as detailed in a report (pdf) published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Due to greenhouse gas emissions, largely generated by modern agricultural and dirty energy practices, the planet's warming atmosphere and oceans are causing ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica to melt quickly, which the researchers say is producing "climate-change driven accelerated sea level rise."
"It's a big deal," said the study's lead author, Steve Nerem of the University of Colorado Boulder, because these findings indicate that the data-based projections from past studies that relied on a constant rate of sea level rise are too conservative.
"This acceleration, driven mainly by accelerated melting in Greenland and Antarctica, has the potential to double the total sea level rise by 2100," Nerem explained, "as compared to projections that assume a constant rate, to more than 60 centimeters instead of about 30," or about two feet instead of about one.
In fact, "65 centimeters is probably on the low end for 2100, since it assumes the rate and acceleration we have seen over the last 25 years continues for the next 82 years," Nerem added. "We are already seeing signs of ice sheet instability in Greenland and Antarctica, so if they experience rapid changes, then we would likely see more than 65 centimeters of sea level rise by 2100."
The study provides a "data-driven assessment of sea level change" that backs up climate models that were used in the most recent International Panel on Climate Change report (pdf), which showed oceans rising 52 to 98 centimenters by the end of this century.
"The acceleration predicted by the models has now been detected directly from the observations," noted study co-author Gary Mitchum of Florida's College of Marine Science. "I think this is a game-changer as far as the climate change discussion goes."
The findings elicited calls for the United States to get onboard with the rest of the world and recommit to the Paris Climate Agreement, and for other nations to take more drastic and urgent steps to reduce emissions.
Others responded with jabs directed at those who actively deny the problem and refuse to address global warming:
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy