WGNNews.org
Posted 5:10 P.M. March 18, 2005
No matter what happens, sea levels and
temperatures are going to rise over the next century, according
to a pair of reports out of the National Center for Atmospheric
Research.
Global warming will likely cause the sea level to rise by
about 25cm, or close to a foot, by 2100, while average
temperatures will rise by at least a half degree Celsius,
according to
Tom Wigley, a researcher at the agency and an author of one
of the studies released today. Researcher
Gerald Meehl wrote the other.
A worst-case scenario predicts a 30-centimeter rise in sea
level and a world temperature rise of 3.5 degrees Celsius.
Worldwide sea levels rose by 5 centimeters in the 20th century,
when human-induced global warming began to be tracked.
While Northern Europe and the United States would be able
to adapt to a 25-centimeter rise in sea level, poor countries in
coastal areas could face huge problems. Bangladesh, for
instance, is sandwiched between the snow melt from the Himalayas
and tropical storms from the Bay of Bengal. Elevated
temperatures and sea levels could dramatically increase the
impact of storms.
