A significant rise in ocean levels and storms could turn into monsters that devour our shores

A recent study  published in the journal Science Advances used precise instruments to monitor the annual rise in ocean levels since 1960, and it shows the amount of this annual rise in millimeters. It also observed that the acceleration in sea level rise is continuing.

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According to the study, this acceleration is due to several key reasons, namely the melting of glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica, water storage on land, and water vapor in the atmosphere.

In addition to the thermal expansion of the oceans, which is a volumetric change resulting from the expansion or contraction of the ocean due to temperature changes.

According to the study, the accelerating rise in sea level poses serious risks to low-lying coastal areas, and understanding the causes of sea level rise is crucial for predicting future sea level changes and supporting efforts to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.

In a  researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the United States, an honorary academic at the College of Science at Oakland University, and the lead researcher in the study, says that the average estimated annual increase rate in sea level since 1960 is 1.88 millimeters per year, which is equivalent to 118 millimeters for 63 years. However, from 1993 to 2010 it became about 3 millimeters/year, and then it became 4 millimeters/year after that, meaning that the rate is not constant but continues to increase.

Regarding the monitoring methods used in the study, Kevin says that the study used satellite altitude measurement, satellite gravity measurement, and the Argo program .

The study derives data on global sea level changes prior to 1993 from reconstructed tide gauge data, while data on changes after 1993 are derived from satellite altitude measurement data.

Thanks to the development of this global monitoring system based on satellite-based measurement of both altitude and gravity and the Argo project, the margin of error in estimating the global sea level budget has decreased to about 0.08 millimeters/year between 2005 and 2018, but doubts also remain about the current monitoring system.

Reducing the discrepancy in the global sea level budget estimate is achieved through the development of monitoring technologies, and in this study, the previous discrepancy in the sea level budget was addressed.

The results of this study highlight the importance of data processing and bias correction techniques in tracking global sea-level rise.

Each additional centimeter raises the starting point from which storm waters originate, making coastal flooding more frequent and capable of penetrating areas that were previously relatively far from danger.

At the same time, rising water levels lead to increased erosion of beaches and loss of areas of sand and coastal land, and threaten infrastructure near the sea, from roads and ports to drainage networks and housing.

With the recurrence of these effects, some floods that were once considered rare events may turn into seasonal phenomena or even occur several times a year in some coastal cities.