The Overflowing Ocean
The Overflowing Ocean
Summarizes the causes of sea-level rise; primarily these are warming and expansion in the upper 2,000 meters of the ocean, and melting of the ice sheets. The ice sheets are the most difficult aspect of sea-level rise to predict. There is a possibility of a catastrophic loss of ice from West Antarctica, leading to a sea-level rise of 10 feet by the end of the century. Although possible, this is highly unlikely. There is a strong tendency for communities to protect properties as the sea level rises. After each storm, cries arise for seawalls or beach replenishment. In the long term, seawalls destroy beaches and replenishment will become increasingly expensive with sea-level rise.
Keywords: West Antarctic ice sheet, warming ocean, ice shelves, shoreline erosion, sea-level rise, beach replenishment, seawalls
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