Perfect Disaster Global Warming and its Effect on Sea Level Rise
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Transcript of Perfect Disaster Global Warming and its Effect on Sea Level Rise
Perfect Disaster
Global Warming and its
Effect on Sea Level Rise
What is the greenhouse effect?The sun puts off radiation energy.
There are two different types of the greenhouse effect: natural and enhanced.
Natural Greenhouse Effect
The atmosphere is made up of
nitrogenoxygen
water vaporcarbon dioxide
other minor gases
This absorbs a portion of thermal radiation that
warms the earth.This is considered “natural” because these gases were
present before human intervention.
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
Human beings have effectively polluted the
atmosphere with carbon dioxide
through the burning of fossil fuels.
This adds another blanket to the atmosphere
trapping more thermal radiation leading to higher
temperatures.
How does this effect sea levels?Thermal expansion
Cold water is more dense than warm.
Like a swimming pool, the warm water on the top takes
time to mix with the cold water at the bottom.
With this, even if greenhouse gases were stabilized by the
year 2030, oceans would continue to rise at a rate of about 30 cm per year until
oceanic temperature is stabilized.
Melting of glaciers & ice sheets
Warmer oceans and higher temperatures have led to the
melting of glaciers and ice sheets.
Over the past five years, studies have found that
melting Antarctic ice caps contribute
at least 15% to the current
global sea level rise of 2mm a year.
Many more icebergs falling into the sea will cause two things to happen - the sea-
level will rise and the injection of freshwater could disrupt the ocean currents, including the
Gulf Stream.
Is the MOSE Worth It?
The facts…
The MOSE solution will cost an estimated US $2.6 billion.
The gates will be activated if sea levels exceed 87 cm over the
average sea level.
The gates will, in theory, cut the lagoon off from high water
events, protecting the city.
Is the MOSE Worth It?Questionable setbacks…
If sea levels continue to rise, the gates will become obsolete.
Water runoff due to rain and other drainage will be trapped in
the isolated lagoon creating rising levels of their own.
Long term isolation of the lagoon will disrupt the vital
exchange of water between lagoon, gulf, and sea.
Many high water events that cause flooding in the city of Venice
never reach the 87 cm mark.
What does this mean to the rest of the world?
Where do we go from here?
global policyeducation
local solutionspersonal changes
Large-scale global action is needed in order to
combat global warming.
Perfect Disaster
Global Warming and its
Effect on Sea Level Rise