Is a rising sea level a risk for low-lying cities?
Alexandria, Egypt and other low-lying cities are at greatest danger from sea level rise.
Here’s a question from Mohamed Elabd, who lives in Egypt.
He writes, “Does the increasing sea water level endanger areas like the one I live in, in the (Nile) Delta of Egypt? “
Mohamed, most scientists say that rising sea level will be a repercussion of global warming. Even a small increase in world temperature will expand the seas – as warmer water occupies more space – and as portions of the polar ice caps melt. Just a modest rise in sea level can cause serious problems. A rise of a meter adds a meter to every storm surge and spring flood.
It’s hard to predict exactly how much sea level will rise – but there’s agreement that coastlines, deltas and small islands are particularly vulnerable. The International Panel on Climate Change – the IPCC – projects a sea level rise of up to 86 centimeters by the year 2100. Because of the geography of Egypt’s Nile Delta, a rise nearly that high – say, one meter – in sea level could inundate 2000 square kilometers of land. In your neighboring city of Alexandria, Mohomed, even a half meter rise would destroy the two remaining beaches – as well as the original ancient city.
Our thanks today to the National Science Foundation.
IPCC Special Report on Regional Impacts of Climate Change
Sea Level Rise Reports, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Hazards of Sea Level Rise, from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
International Panel on Climate Change
Our thanks to:
Christopher Field
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Department of Plant Biology
Stanford, CA
Dr. John Harte
Energy and Resources Group
University of California
Berkeley, CA
