Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Sea levels rising much faster than expected

You may not have to buy that oceanfront property after all; the coastline could be coming to you. New research says that rises in sea levels caused by global warming are going to much higher than earlier anticipated.

A British and Finnish scientists have created a computer model indicating that sea levels will rise between 80 centimetres and 150 centimetres by 2100, much higher than the 28-43 centimetres predicted last year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The difference in estimates reflects a greater understanding of the impact of the massive melting of ice being seen in the Arctic and Antarctic.

A 100 centimetre rise in sea level would be devastating for low-lying areas around the world, especially ones that don't have the money or the technology to build defences against rising waters. In countries like Bangladesh, tens of millions of people live in areas that are likely to be flooded.

via [BBC News]