Satellites, coral reefs, ancient Roman fishponds and sinking cities help us understand how humans are changing sea level
Satellites, coral reefs, ancient Roman fishponds and sinking cities help us understand how humans are changing sea level
By Douglas Fox
Web edition: January 22, 2013
Enlarge Storm surges as high as 3.3 meters swept over U.S. coastlines when Superstorm Sandy came ashore October 29. This photo shows flooding in Long Island City, N.Y.
Credit: Sascha Reinking Photography
Scientists these days are worried about sea level. As Earth warms, the surface of the ocean is creeping upward. This creep is happening partly because saltwater expands a tiny bit as it warms. ?Warmer water literally is taller,? explains Josh Willis. He?s a climate scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
He and others are learning how fast seas are rising, thanks in part to the Jason-2 satellite. Its eyes in the sky?regularly?measure the distance between its orbiting instruments and Earth?s surface. And the disturbing news: Seas are climbing quickly. In many areas, they threaten to seriously overrun coastal areas, especially during storms.
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Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/347681/title/FOR_KIDS_Watching_our_seas_rise
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