04 Mar 10 Learn something new no.3 – The effects of global warming and rising sea levels | #LearnSomethingNew
Things that get wet tend to shrink - like Holland
Today I have learnt that sea levels are rising and I will not be moving to Peterborough or New York.
With a rise in sea levels of 1 meter, the UK could see coastal towns like Hull, Portsmouth and Bognor Regis swallowed by the sea. Inland, it could also be bad news for Peterborough.
At the other extreme, with a 14m rise, large chunks of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Somerset will succumb to the waves, changing the distinctive outline of the UK dramatically.
In such extreme circumstances, Holland would almost completely disappear, leaving two islands, each little bigger than the Isle of Wight. Most coastal towns on the East coast of America would be overwhelmed, and an area of China about the size of England would disappear, As would many Pacific and Indonesian islands.
Current predictions have sea level rising by about 0.8m by the year 2100, which still makes the coast a dodgy place to live. The rest of us may have dry feet, but the further effect on tides and the meteorological impact on the gulf stream and air currents etc. means it will become a very different world.
Courtesy of http://flood.firetree.net/
