Global sea level may rise 50 feet by 2300: Study
Shares
ISLAMABAD: Owing to continuous emissions of greenhouse gases, increased global average sea-level is likely to rise by nearly 8 feet by the year 2100 and 50 feet by 2300, as per a new study.
According to the researchers from Rutgers University USA, under moderate emissions, central estimates of global average sea-level range from 1.4 to 2.8 feet by 2100, another 2.8 to 5.4 feet by 2150 and 6 to 14 feet more by 2300.
In addition, with 11 per cent of the world's population living in areas less than 33 feet above sea level, rising seas pose a major risk to coastal populations, economies, infrastructure and ecosystems around the world, the study said published in the journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources.
"There is much that is known about past and future sea-level change, and much that is uncertain. But uncertainty is not a reason to ignore the challenge," said study co-author Robert E. Kopp, Professor from the varsity.
"Carefully characterising what is known and what is uncertain is crucial to managing the risks sea-level rise poses to coasts around the world," Kopp said.
Importantly, sea-level rise varies over location and time, and scientists have developed a range of methods to reconstruct past changes and project future ones.
In addition, from 2000 to 2050, global average sea-level will most likely rise about 6 to 10 inches, but is extremely unlikely to rise by more than 18 inches.
As per the study, a large portion of sea-level rise in the 20th century, including most of the global rise since 1975, is attributed to human-caused global warming.
Since the beginning of the century, global average sea-level has risen by about 0.2 feet, the researchers said.
APP
