Essay Sample on Rise in Sea Levels Due to Global Warming

Introduction

Human beings are continuing to increase the greenhouse effects in the atmosphere in most countries worldwide, and the oceans have felt the impact of these changes in the environment. The oceans and seas of the world have absorbed more than ninety percent of the heat that is emitted by the gases, and this heat has taken a significant toll on the rise of the ocean and the seas. Since the year 1880, the average sea levels have increased to over eight inches with almost half of the inches gained in the past twenty-five years. Global warming has caused sea rises that are experienced every year, and this has induced many adverse effects such as floods that have been on the rise and have caused many deaths to the people.

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Steps in Increase of Sea Level

As global warming effects continue to increase, the sea levels worldwide continue to grow mainly because of two reasons. The first reason is that the warm temperatures will cause ice glaciers and sheets to melt (Dutton et al. 4019). The melting will lead to the meltwater flowing into the oceans and seas, and a gradual rise will be realized. Another reason why sea levels rise is that the warm water will expand and it will take up a lot of space more than the cold water does. Warm water leads to an increase in water volumes. Over the past twenty thousand years, the sea has climbed to over four hundred feet, and the climate has warmed as a natural cycle. Sea levels have increased twice the levels they were expected due to global warming that increase greenhouse gases.

The sea levels are increasing due to thermal expansions that warm up water rapidly and the warm water occupy a lot of space than water that is cold. The steps of sea levels rising are mainly influenced by warm water that leads to melting glaciers, and they accelerate the way that ice melts (Jevrejeva et al. 13343). Many ice sheets and glaciers move into the ocean towards the coastal edges which lead to ice shelves. The ice shelves hold the ice on the land but due to global warming and the rising temperatures the warm water lapped at the shelves which caused them to weaken and calve glaciers in the oceans and seas. These changes are irreversible, and it is impossible to reverse the ice retreat trails. Sea levels are rising all over the globe, but in some places, the rise is being realized quickly than other places.

Effects on Coastal Habitats

The change in global warmings have been experienced, and it causes water to expand, and due to the expansion, it occupies more space. The rapid rise in sea levels even the smallest rise can have devastating effects on the coastal habitats that are found farther inland (Zickfeld, Solomon and Gilford 660). Higher sea levels in the ocean and seas have been reported to coincide with hurricanes and typhoons that occur mostly due to arise in the sea levels. These hurricanes have contributed to more storms that hit both the oceans and the land around which causes the water to strip anything that it meets on its way. The hurricanes cause heavy rains and the rains increase the water levels more.

The global warming happens and it causes shrinking of the land ice like mountain glaciers and ice sheets that cause a release of water to the oceans. These effects of global warming have significant threats to the communities that live close to the coast with millions of people and property as well as infrastructures being at risk of destruction (Rahmstorf 11806). The rise of the seas, as well as the tides and storms caused by global warming cause natural protections such as islands, dunes, mangrove stands and sand flats, start retreating inland especially if there are no obstructions along the path of retreat. These physical protections get washed over and drowned. The increase in sea level causes an increase in erosion levels especially on lands that are close to the seas because as the water infiltrates the area and goes back to the seas, it carries a lot of soil and sand back, and this is a significant cause.

Floods due to the Rising Sea Levels

The flooding that will be caused by the rising sea levels happen more frequently especially to the communities that are nearer to the oceans. The floods are most likely to reach the homes and towns, and this will cause traffic jams in the flooded areas (Hansen et al. 18). Flooding during storms will infiltrate further beyond high tide marks and the beach hotels that are located in the beaches and the shores. The ocean warming will provide hurricanes more energy and the storm surge and lead to the flooding becoming more dangerous than due to the force through which it comes with. The reshaping of the coastlines will take place because the floods will dry up and erode coastal features mostly when hurricanes happen.

The rising sea levels will also lead to an increase in waves and the intensity by which they hit the shorelines, and these encroachments have caused more drastic changes where they inundate wetlands and kill marsh grasses which help in holding sediments together. The deposits and the mud particles are pulled out of the sea and are pushed more into the inlands (Moftakhari et al. 1950). Sandy beaches will also be affected by the waves and tides; hence the sand will be carried by the waves destroying the beauty of the sands. Many birds use the coasts and the ecosystems in the coastal areas for breeding and laying eggs or even live near the seas. Sea turtles also lay their eggs on beaches where they do so at the same place every year. The rising seas lead to the beaches eroding or being covered by the sea; hence they limit the options that the birds have. The increasing levels of the sea lead to people coming up with physical barriers to reduce the possibility of seawater rising to the ground, and this ultimately stops the turtles and birds coming to the shores to lay their eggs and build their nests. This leads to a threat in the existence of species that depend on the shores for them to hatch and improve their existence. The habitats of the seabirds are also destroyed, and many of them die which leads to a destruction of the natural habitats and beauty.

Intrusion into Fresh Water Bodies

Saltwater intrusion is another significant effect that may be realized as the rise in the sea levels cause salty water to flow to land and mix with fresh water bodies and sources of water. This will most likely cause people to lack fresh water to drink. Irrigation water will also be hard to get as much of the water will be affected by the saltiness in the sea waters hence many agricultural fields will be affected negatively, and the production of various countries which produce agricultural products will reduce drastically (Nicholls, Woodroffe and Burkett 311). Many wildlife will also be affected due to lack of fresh water to drink, and this will most likely lead to the death of the animals leading to an extinction of some wild animals. Many countries that depend on wildlife as the significant source of income for them will face a negative effect to them as they will notice a change in their salaries as their primary source of income will reduce leading to loss of employment and income.

The intrusion of salt into the freshwater sources is also most likely to cause drinking water to be unsafe, and this creates a need for research and development of technology that will help to remove the salt from the drinking water. This is an expensive process, and it will require the different practitioners and the government to use a lot of funds and resources to purify salt water and make it safe for drinking or farming (Brown et al. 410). The different methods of removing the salt from freshwater are unsustainable practices, and the government is using billions of money that would have otherwise be used for development purposes and improvement fo infrastructure in different countries worldwide. Millions of people rely on farmlands that are near freshwater bodies; hence the salt water leads to food shortages and millions of people being displaced.

Soil Erosion

The seas will also evaporate at high rates, and the tropics will be the most affected because they will receive less rain and many plants like trees will dry up leading to the cases of soil erosion increasing. Floods from the rising sea levels will most likely hit people who live in vulnerable areas. Some island nations will also disappear by them being covered by the water thoroughly (Yi et al. 4001). Several cases will be reported of many islands sinking and, or the coastal plan life will change because the salt water hitting the shores will lead to changes in the chemistry of the coastal soil leading to the change in plant life. The plants that are close to the shores change and this affects the social practices of the people that depended on those plants as their source of incomes. The trees that pull water from underground will be forced to push their roots further underground, and this will most likely lead to them experiencing stunted growth, and due to the rise in sea water, the plants will most likely die because they cannot survive repeated seawater flooding. People who depend on specific plants that are close to the sea for income will most likely be left unemployed or will be forced to search for options to make ends meet and sustain their families.

When the sea rises, the coastal areas will most likely face a profound negative impact on the beaches of the seas and oceans. Beaches are a place where most human beings love to go for recreation and setting up their real estate businesses (Yi et al. 4001). The society will be affected a lot because most of the people who live around the coast due to the moderate climate and sceneries that are pleasant will most likely face the effects of the sea rise. Global warming will increase the carbon dioxide concentration in the rising seas, and the water will most likely be acidified. The acidification of the seawater will lead to it being harder for planktonic organisms to survive in the sea. The wildlife that lives in the seas will also be unable to survive, and this will lead to the death of wildlife and sea animals. This will lead to a reduction in the food supply of many people who depend on sea animals and organisms for food.

Florida is the state in the world that is facing the most profound threats than elsewhere worldwide mostly because of its low elevation. The state is found only a few feet away from high tide which leads to unnoticeable changes in sea levels (Jeppesen et al. 210). The fact that the rising sea is not noticeable is a significant threat as it causes floods and strong waves that hit the people around and the shores causing many deaths as has been the case in the past for several decades. Another main reason why it has been the most threatened state is that it is situated on a limestone bed which is porous making it easier for salt water to infiltrate and erode the rock creating more chances for flooding to take place.

Conclusion

As global warming continues to increase worldwide, the sea level will continue to rise, and this will continue creating more menace for several countries worldwide. The height of the sea has been increasing consistently, and the water has risen to between five and eight inches since the year 1900. Future sea levels are expected to increase mostly because of the continuing global warming cases that are being experienced in the world. It is difficult to predict the sea levels in the future because scientists are not aware of the speed by which the planet will deal with the warming climates. Even if the emissions are reduced, sea levels will continue rising and this will cause coastal floods and erosion to increase.

Works Cited

Brown, Sally, et al. "Spatial variations of sea-level rise and impacts: An application of DIVA." Climatic Change 134.3 (2016): 403-416....