Rising Sea Levels More Dangerous Than Thought

[cronus]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... n-thought/

Rising Sea Levels More Dangerous Than Thought

The consequences of global sea level rise could be even scarier than the worst-case scenarios predicted by the dominant climate models, which don't fully account for the fast breakup of ice sheets and glaciers, NASA scientists said today (Aug. 26) at a press briefing.

What's more, sea level rise is already occurring. The open question, NASA scientists say, is just how quickly the seas will rise in the future.

(continued)

[JimC]

Everybody needs to shove their fingers into a dyke...

[laklak]

Tried that once, she broke my wrist.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Nah. Thought is definitely more dangerous.

[Seth]

Aaauggggh! We only have a hundred years to move 20 feet vertically. Oh noes, what will we do?

Adapt or die, that's what.

[JimC]

Only it may be closer to 100 feet (in your quaint, old-fashioned measurement system). Such figures (even 100 feet) may seem small, but they would actually involve the loss of hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of heavily built up and valuable land.

[mistermack]

The open question, NASA scientists say, is just how quickly the seas will rise in the future.

Just that little detail to fill in then.

Some of the melting that has already occurred is likely irreversible, and could take hundreds of years to reverse, Rignot said.

They are certainly earning their tax dollars. It gives me a warm feeling to know that these people are keeping us safe.

[laklak]

Let's keep it under 7 meters, y'all, because then our house is waterfront. I get moist just thinking about how much waterfront property in Sarasota is worth.

[cronus]

Lot of water sloshing about out there doing its own thing outside of any computer simulation, that's publicly accessible. This won't be a smooth ride - big step increases. I'm expecting some anomalous storm surges to bring water inland like cascade flooding in low laying various places around the globe. Likely to get quite scary quite quickly when it starts to happen. The main damage will be agricultural land loss, cities can be evacuated - feeding populations is the real issue, albeit this can be offset somewhat by new multi-storey greenhouse technologies. Adapt to survive?

[mistermack]

Let's keep it under 7 meters, y'all, because then our house is waterfront. I get moist just thinking about how much waterfront property in Sarasota is worth.

At the moment, the consensus appears to be that sea levels are rising at about 2mm per year. Or 1cm over five years.
So a metre will take 500 years, and your house will be worth a lot more in 3,500 years time.
Best you sit tight.

[laklak]

Well, 3500 years will get me out of the short-term capital gains tax. Given current inflation rates the house should be worth about $1,000,000,000,000,000 Galactic Credits by then.

[devogue]

It's not the end of the world.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I believe that the correct expression, as dictated by forum protocol, for this occasion is, "Fuck off, Dev!" Nice to see you again, mate!

[JimC]

Between the Devogue and the deep blue sea!

[Seth]

Only it may be closer to 100 feet (in your quaint, old-fashioned measurement system). Such figures (even 100 feet) may seem small, but they would actually involve the loss of hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of heavily built up and valuable land.

Who cares? Time to move? Move. Time to build polders? Build polders.

Adapt or die.