The Effects of Global Warming on Sea Level
Introduction
As the Earth warms up a number of changes in the weather will occur, including hotter summers. This may seem like a good idea, but a rise of a few degrees Celsius in temperature could change the conditions on Earth, which are currently just right for existing plants and animals.
Warmer Seas and Melting Ice
When the Earth warms, the oceans will warm and expand causing an increase in the level of the sea. This process is thought to be responsible for about a quarter of the sea level rise recorded during the 20th century. The melting of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica could be another major cause, although it is not known what contribution this makes.
According to many studies, sea levels have been rising by 1-2 millimetres (mm) each year for the past 100 years. Current predictions suggest that the sea level may rise by half a metre in the next 100 years.
Flooding
Higher sea levels will threaten the low-lying coastal areas of the world such as the Netherlands and Bangladesh. Many important fisheries would become threatened and coastal ecosystems damaged.
In Britain, East Anglia and the Thames Estuary will be particularly at risk from flooding as sea levels increase.
