Perfect Disaster Global Warming and its Effect on Sea Level Rise

Perfect Disaster

Global Warming and its

Effect on Sea Level Rise

What is the greenhouse effect?The sun puts off radiation energy.

There are two different types of the greenhouse effect: natural and enhanced.

Natural Greenhouse Effect

The atmosphere is made up of

nitrogenoxygen

water vaporcarbon dioxide

other minor gases

This absorbs a portion of thermal radiation that

warms the earth.This is considered “natural” because these gases were

present before human intervention.

Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

Human beings have effectively polluted the

atmosphere with carbon dioxide

through the burning of fossil fuels.

This adds another blanket to the atmosphere

trapping more thermal radiation leading to higher

temperatures.

How does this effect sea levels?Thermal expansion

Cold water is more dense than warm.

Like a swimming pool, the warm water on the top takes

time to mix with the cold water at the bottom.

With this, even if greenhouse gases were stabilized by the

year 2030, oceans would continue to rise at a rate of about 30 cm per year until

oceanic temperature is stabilized.

Melting of glaciers & ice sheets

Warmer oceans and higher temperatures have led to the

melting of glaciers and ice sheets.

Over the past five years, studies have found that

melting Antarctic ice caps contribute

at least 15% to the current

global sea level rise of 2mm a year.

Many more icebergs falling into the sea will cause two things to happen - the sea-

level will rise and the injection of freshwater could disrupt the ocean currents, including the

Gulf Stream.

Is the MOSE Worth It?

The facts…

The MOSE solution will cost an estimated US $2.6 billion.

The gates will be activated if sea levels exceed 87 cm over the

average sea level.

The gates will, in theory, cut the lagoon off from high water

events, protecting the city.

Is the MOSE Worth It?Questionable setbacks…

If sea levels continue to rise, the gates will become obsolete.

Water runoff due to rain and other drainage will be trapped in

the isolated lagoon creating rising levels of their own.

Long term isolation of the lagoon will disrupt the vital

exchange of water between lagoon, gulf, and sea.

Many high water events that cause flooding in the city of Venice

never reach the 87 cm mark.

What does this mean to the rest of the world?

Where do we go from here?

global policyeducation

local solutionspersonal changes

Large-scale global action is needed in order to

combat global warming.

Perfect Disaster

Global Warming and its

Effect on Sea Level Rise