Rising
sea levels will not extinguish humanity, but they will transform life
on planet Earth as we know it according to Peter Ward professor of
biology and earth sciences at the University of Washington. Here are
his predictions in a new book, The Flooded Earth, which will be published this July.
By
2050: Sea levels will rise 0.5 to 1 meter. Well established coastal
cities will battle the rising waters with dikes and levees; other
cities will see their underground infrastructure impaired and face
building collapse.
By 2300: The seas will rise 20 meters
reshaping the world’s geography, forming new rivers and lakes as
Antarctica’s ice melts. Massive icebergs will form in the southern
hemisphere interrupting historic shipping lanes.
2500-3000: the
sea will reach its maximum levels completely wiping out coastal cities
and forcing massive human and animal migration. Greenland and
Antarctica will be transformed into prime farmlands. In southern
regions will face the spread of tropical diseases and the possibility
of mass extinctions.
Image above: Red represents areas where temperatures have increased the most
during the last 50 years, particularly in West Antarctica, while dark
blue represents areas with a lesser degree of warming. Temperature
changes are measured in degrees Celsius. Credit: NASA/GSFC Scientific
Visualization Studio.
Casey Kazan
Related Galaxy Posts:
Is Global Warming Part of Earth’s Natural Cycle: MIT Team Says “Yes” -A Galaxy Insight
Global-Warming Tipping Point: 9 Degrees Temperature Increase Would Devastate Earth’s Population
Source: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/warming_antarctica.html
0 comentários:
Enviar um comentário