The East Coast of the United States may experience more sea level rise than other parts of the country or even the world, if the Antarctic ice cap slips and a substantial portion melts, according to a story by David A. Fahrenthold in the Washington Post, Monday June 8, p A04, link here.
Sea levels rose about 7 inches during the 20th Century. While sea level rise might average slightly under two feet in the rest of the world, it could be four feet around New York City, enough to increase beach erosion and exposure to many beachfront properties. But it won’t make New York into another New Orleans, although a direct hit by a Category 5 Hurricane might. That’s because of the uneven wobble and position of the mass of water and ice, as explained in the article.
But some scientists make much more dire predicts, for example, or a runaway Venusian greenhouse effect if the methane hydrate in the deep ocean gets released. New York might have to build Thames-like gates as in the ABC Film “Earth 2100”.
Elevation maps would change. Stony Man mountain in Virginia would decrease from 4010 feet to 4008 feet.
Pictures (above): Gibson Island, 10 miles SE of Baltimore, likely to experience sea level rise (very much in Michael Phelps country). Below: Stony Man, Shenandoah, VA
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