New Delhi: Every year, World Ocean Day is celebrated on June 8 to spread awareness about the need to maintain a clean ocean and above all, take care of the fact that its water level does not rise. If the ocean water rises, then that will lead to only one thing: The drowning of low-lying places on this planet including some famous cities, which in turn will lead to the loss of lives and massive displacement. So, we come to the important question, is the ocean water rising?
Rising ocean water: Yes, it is happening
Thanks to the twin threats of global warming and climate change which have been propelled by ever-increasing pollution, the ocean water is rising. Astonishingly, since 1880, the level of sea and ocean water has risen about 8-9 inches as a result of melting glaciers and ice sheets and seawater’s thermal expansion. In 2022, the global mean sea level was 4 inches above the levels recorded in 1993. Notably, between 2006 and 2015, the ocean water level increased by 0.14 inches every year. To put into context, that rise was 2.5 times the average rate of 0.06 inches per year throughout most of the 20th century.
The rise in the ocean and sea water level means that deadly and destructive storm surges push farther inland than they once did, leading to more frequent nuisance flooding. About 3,000 to 100 years ago, sea levels naturally rose and declined slightly with barely any change. But in the last 100 years, thanks to pollution-induced rising global temperatures, the water level has increased drastically. And the current rate of sea-level rise is unprecedented over the past several millennia.
Why is the water level rising?
To say more specifically, the water level is rising due to several reasons. One is that glaciers and ice sheets all over the world are melting at a rapid pace due to the rising global temperature. Also, the expanding volume of the ocean as the water warms is a significant factor. And lastly, there is the small factor of declining liquid water on land, aquifers, lakes and reservoirs, rivers and soil moisture. This shift of liquid water from land to ocean is largely due to people depleting groundwater.
According to reports, and as can be predicted, the water level in the ocean and the sea will continue to rise in the coming years due to rising global temperatures. While the rate of emission of greenhouse gases will determine the pace of global warming, the big ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland are already melting in a steady, predictable way. Will they reach a tipping point and rapidly collapse? That entirely depends on our actions.
The water level is rising due to several reasons. One is that glaciers and ice sheets all over the world are melting at a rapid pace due to the rising global temperature. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
