What are the 3 causes of sea level rise? You will be able to find out in this article. Nearly everywhere in the world, sea levels are rising.
The size of the beaches is getting smaller, and there is more regular coastal flooding.
Many nations, including Bangladesh, are losing their crop species as a result of groundwater contamination from the sea.
The survival of coastal settlements is being threatened in other countries, like Tuvalu.
However, the study of sea level is a complicated one. We need a ton of information on oceanic processes and observed sea-level changes to comprehend this process.
We can now collect a wide range of data thanks to technical advancements like satellites and Argo floats, which is a blessing. Below are the causes of the rise in sea levels.
What Are The 3 Causes of Sea Level Rise
In this section, we have listed more than three causes of Sea Level Rise:
- Rising Sea Levels Are A Result Of Ocean Warming
- The Oceans Get More Water As Ice Sheets Melt
- Melting Ice Caps And Glaciers
- Groundwater Extraction Raises Sea Level
- Heavy Consumption Of Water Stored
- Sea Levels May Rise As A Result Of Long-Term Land Uplift
Rising Sea Levels Are A Result Of Ocean Warming
Our seas are warming, which is one of the main causes of the sea level rise we are currently experiencing.
Global warming, according to researchers, is the primary cause of this. Consequently, water molecules enlarge when they absorb heat (thermal expansion).
They eventually lead to an expansion of the oceans themselves and a rise in sea level. Typically, the density decreases as water volume increases. In areas with high pressure or temperature, we see this phenomenon.
The Oceans Get More Water As Ice Sheets Melt
The current sea-level rise is also significantly influenced by the melting of ice sheets. Which we can once more relate to global warming.
A large mass of glacial land ice that spans more than 50,000 km2 is known as an ice sheet. As a result, water is released as it melts.
The northern hemisphere used to be mostly covered by ice sheets. Today, however, only the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are still present.
But the sea would rise by 7.2 m if the Greenland Ice Sheet completely melted!
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Melting Ice Caps And Glaciers
Ice masses that are smaller than 50,000 km2 are known as glaciers and ice caps. Ice caps are found atop mountains, and glaciers are essentially the ice pieces we see floating in the ocean.
Small glaciers and ice caps are melting as the temperature rises. Researchers claim that since 2000, glacier loss has risen from 0.77 mm to 1.4 mm annually.
Both in the water and on land, these ice chunks’ melting may have negative effects.
The hunting grounds used by marine creatures like polar bears and seals will disappear.
Similarly, if Himalayan ice caps, such as those in the Himalayas, melt, towns downstream will be flooded.
Groundwater Extraction Raises Sea Level
At the moment, 982 km3 of groundwater is extracted heavily annually throughout the world.
Typically, we use it for drinking and cooking, and after we’re done, the water ends up in the sea.
Surprisingly, research indicates that this water flow also contributes to the rise in sea level.
In fact, it was responsible for 13% of the 3.1mm increase between 2000 and 2008.
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Heavy Consumption Of Water Stored
In contrast to groundwater extraction, when we store water in reservoirs, we stop the flow of that water into the ocean.
Approximately 8000 km3 of water is currently stored in reservoirs.
The majority of our reservoirs were built after the 1950s when the sea level dropped by 30 mm [4].
Today, however, the loss of wetlands and deforestation have increased the amount of water that enters the oceans.
The amount of water used for agriculture in places like Lake Urmia and the Aral Sea has dramatically lowered reservoir water levels.
The sea level has also gone up during the same period.
Sea Levels May Rise As A Result Of Long-Term Land Uplift
The elevation of the Earth’s crust as a result of tectonic plate movement is known as land uplift. Therefore, the sea level will eventually rise as tectonic plates move.
Even so, this process moves slowly and takes place over a long period of time.
For instance, over the past 1.6 Ma, researchers discovered that the land around Florida’s shorelines has been rising at a pace of 0.02 to 0.05 mm per year.
