Climate change is a change in global or regional climate patterns, it’s a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced using fossil fuels. Sea level rise is one effect of climate change caused primarily by two factors related to global warming. The added water from melting ice sheets, glaciers and the expansion of seawater as it warms. Most climate scientists agree the main cause of the current global warming trend is human expansion of the greenhouse effect, warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space. Certain gases in the atmosphere block heat from escaping. Long-lived gases that remain semi permanently in the atmosphere and do not respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are described as forcing climate change. Gases, such as water vapor, which respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are seen as feedbacks.
On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse. The burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities has increased concentrations of greenhouse gases. The consequences of changing the natural atmospheric greenhouse are difficult to predict, but certain effects are likely to occur. On average, Earth will become warmer. Some regions may welcome warmer temperatures, but others may not. Warmer conditions will, most likely lead to more evaporation and precipitation, but individual regions will vary, some becoming wetter and others dryer. A stronger greenhouse effect will warm the oceans and partially melt glaciers and other ice, increasing sea level. Ocean water also will expand if it warms, contributing further to sea level rise. Meanwhile, some crops and other plants may respond favorably to increased atmospheric CO2, growing more vigorously and using water more efficiently. At the same time, higher temperatures and shifting climate patterns may change the areas where crops grow best and affect the makeup of natural plant communities. When sea levels rise as rapidly as they have been, even a small increase can have devastating effects on coastal habitats farther inland, it can cause destructive erosion, wetland flooding, aquifer and agricultural soil contamination with salt, and lost habitat for fish, birds, and plants. The polar bear is a common example of animals suffering from sea level rise, because of ongoing and potential loss of their sea ice habitat resulting from climate change, polar bears were listed as a threatened species in the US under the Endangered Species Act in May 2008. Wild life isn’t the only the ones being affected. Higher sea levels are coinciding with more dangerous hurricanes and typhoons that move more slowly and drop more rain, contributing to more powerful storm surges that can wipe away everything in their path. One study found that between 1963 and 2012, almost half of all deaths from Atlantic hurricanes were caused by storm surges. Already, flooding in low-lying coastal areas is forcing people to migrate to higher ground, and millions more are vulnerable from flood risk and other climate change effects. The prospect of higher coastal water levels threatens basic services such as Internet access, since much of the underlying communications infrastructure lies in the path of rising seas.
In conclusion as humans continue to pour greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, oceans have tempered the effect. The world’s seas have absorbed more than 90 percent of the heat from these gases, and it’s taking a toll on our oceans. Many people think of global warming and climate change as the same thing, but scientists prefer to use “climate change” when describing the complex shifts now affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems. Rising seas is one of those climate change effects. Average sea levels have swelled over 8 inches since 1880, with about three of those inches gained in the last 25 years. Every year, the sea rises another 13 inches. Thermal expansion, melting glaciers, and Loss of Greenland and Antarctica’s ice sheets are the three primary factors induced by ongoing global climate change causing sea levels to rise.
Sources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/sea-level-rise/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear
https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/
