Latest Sea level Stories

New research by scientists in Britain and China reveals evidence of how the East Antarctic ice sheet initially formed.The work provides a snapshot of terrain that has lain hidden miles beneath the ice for millions of years, when rivers ran through mountain valleys that were oddly similar to the modern European Alps.The scientists used radar to map an area of the Gamburtsev mountains, believed to be where the ice originated. The region would have been cold enough to support the formation of...

"Anybody who observes waves can see that they are not the same height in winter and summer, but rather that their height varies over time, and we have applied a 'non- seasonal' statistical model in order to measure extreme events such as these", Fernando J. Méndez, an engineer at the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics at the University of Cantabria and co-author of a study published recently in the journal Coastal Engineering, tells SINC.The new model can chart the pattern of...

Scientists say that a number of the United States' most populous east coast cities "” including New York and Boston "” could see higher than expected rises in sea levels if Greenland's glacial-melt continues at its current rate.Researchers reported that sea levels on North America's northeast coast could potentially rise by 12 to 20 inches more than other coastal regions if the melting of Greenland's ice sheet continues to accelerate.Because of the tremendous quantity of fresh water...

The potential contribution to sea level rise from a collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) have been greatly overestimated, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Scientists estimate global sea level would rise 3.3 metres, not five or six, as previously thought. The Atlantic and Pacific seaboards of the US, even in the case of a partial collapse, would experience the largest increases, threatening cities such as New York, Washington DC and San Francisco.Long...

U.S. space agency scientists say they are preparing a satellite to measure the salinity of Earth's oceans. The Aquarius satellite, to be launched during May 2010, will be the first National Aeronautics and Space Administration instrument to track sea salinity from space. Sea saltiness today, as it has been for centuries, is measured by samples taken by ships' crews or, more recently, by automated buoys. But there are vast areas of the ocean where salinity has never been measured, NASA said....

A new study analyzing the fluctuations in sea levels during the last time Earth was between ice ages shows that oceans rose some nine feet in only decades due to collapsing ice sheets, the AFP reported.Lead researcher Paul Blanchon, a geoscientist at Mexico's National University, said the findings suggest that such a scenario would redraw coastlines worldwide and unleash colossal human misery.Worst of all, he said it was "now a distinct possibility within the next 100 years."...

Scientists warn New York City could be at risk to damage from hurricanes and storm surges because they predict global warming could lift sea levels twice as fast as global rates. "The northeast coast of the United States is among the most vulnerable regions to future changes in sea level and ocean circulation, especially when considering its population density," said Jianjun Yin, a climate modeler at Florida State University.The new study predicts a slowdown in Atlantic Ocean...

Scientists at a Denmark conference say rising sea levels will have a major negative impact on 1-in-10 humans living in the Earth's low-lying coastal areas. Research presented during this week's International Scientific Congress on Climate Change in Copenhagen shows the upper range of sea level rise by 2100 could be in the range of about 1 meter (3 feet) or possibly more. At the lower end of the spectrum, studies show it is increasingly unlikely sea level rise will be much less than 50...

A German study suggests human water consumption is causing an alarming drop in Dead Sea water levels, with serious environmental consequences. Shahrazad Abu Ghazleh and colleagues at the University of Technology in Darmstadt, Germany, said the lower water levels in the Dead Sea -- the deepest point on Earth -- can impact the area's ability to generate electricity and produce fresh water by desalinization. The researchers said normally the water levels of closed lakes such as the Dead Sea...

A team of Yale geologists has a new perspective on the greenhouse-to-icehouse shift where global climate changed from an ice-free world to one with massive ice sheets in the Antarctic nearly 34 million years ago.The study, which is detailed in the February issue of Science, disproves a long-held theory that massive ice growth was accompanied by very little global temperature change.According to the report, there was an estimated 18°F drop in latitude temperatures, and nearly as great a...