New projections estimate sea level rise by 2050 for coastal cities in the United States. They indicate a rise in sea level of 25 to 30 cm as well as an increase in the frequency and intensity of floods.
Near-term projections are presented
Scientists have been investigating sea level rise for years now. These scenarios, modeled in particular for the end of the century, are catastrophic and warn of the need to monitor changes in sea level height. For the first time, near-term projections are presented in the February 15, 2022 report, Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States. ), developed by NASA , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other federal agencies.
Projections for 2050
This report projects sea level rise through 2050 and focuses on coastal cities across the United States that are already experiencing high tidal flooding, and therefore need these reports to inform their plans for anticipating and managing the consequences of sea level rise.
The scientists‘ projections estimate that the sea level will rise by 25 to 30 centimeters along the American coasts over the next thirty years, a rise equal to the total rise observed over the past 100 years.
These forecasts are also accompanied by an increase in the frequency and intensity of these events. It is important to also note that estimates of sea level rise by the end of the century may be exceeded if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise , in turn increasing global temperatures.
These projections have been developed thanks to the progress made in understanding the processes linked to the rise in water levels such as the melting of ice caps and glaciers or the complex interactionsbetween oceans, ice and continents. Moreover, this information is accessible thanks to a new mapping tool developed in order to be able to visualize online the various scenarios of sea level rise presented by the report.
This online climate data expands monitoring capabilities and aims to raise awareness among coastal and global communities of the alarming rate of sea level rise to better position themselves now for the future.
Research is still active
The Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States are already part of the latest assessment published in August 2021 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). These reports provide assessments of the Earth’s climate on a global scale, via analyzes based, among other things, on computer simulations .
A final report on assessing the impacts of climate change on the United States has yet to be released: the Fifth National Climate Assessment . Produced by the U.S. Global Change Research Program , it will draw on this study of “Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States” and is expected to be released in 2023.
Hopefully with technological advancements in renewable energy, the climate effects can be reduced in a near future…
