Nine Foot Higher Sea Levels?

[jyl]

https://m.slashdot.org/story/337699

"In total, researchers found that Antarctica lost roughly 1,929 gigatons of ice in 2015, which amounts to an increase of roughly 36 gigatons per year every year since 2008. (A gigaton is one billion tons.) Nearly 90% of that increase in loss occurred in West Antarctica, "probably in response to ocean warming," according to NASA. The new data analysis mostly confirms other recent research, but does so with a higher degree of precision by using a new technique that can process a larger amount of satellite data than was possible before.

West Antarctica has been losing a lot of ice in recent years, and at an ever-growing pace, while East Antarctica is losing ice more steadily. The West Antarctic ice sheet is of particular concern because, like a building that stands on an uneven foundation, it is inherently unstable, making it especially vulnerable to the warming climate. If the entire ice sheet were destabilized and melted into the sea, researchers estimate it would lead to 3 meters (9 feet) of sea level rise globally."

I have been congratulating myself for living 100 miles inland at 230' where I will be unaffected by sea level increases but some checking around suggests that if Columbia river levels rise 9', then Portland becomes just as vulnerable to massive city wide flooding as Houston is today and we all know how that turned out . . . our floods will be from high river + heavy rainfall conditions causing levee and riverwall overtopping.

If sea levels and hence inland waterway and coastal river levels rise 9' how will your flooding risk change if at all?

[javadog]

None.

[tabs]

Blame it on the scale of the global economy and the environmental degradation that it causes. Which means that your modern life style is destroying the planet. So you are responsible because of your own irresponsible sloth.

[da Vinci Dan]

Originally Posted by jyl

https://m.slashdot.org/story/337699

"In total, researchers found that Antarctica lost roughly 1,929 gigatons of ice in 2015, which amounts to an increase of roughly 36 gigatons per year every year since 2008. (A gigaton is one billion tons.) Nearly 90% of that increase in loss occurred in West Antarctica, "probably in response to ocean warming," according to NASA. The new data analysis mostly confirms other recent research, but does so with a higher degree of precision by using a new technique that can process a larger amount of satellite data than was possible before.

West Antarctica has been losing a lot of ice in recent years, and at an ever-growing pace, while East Antarctica is losing ice more steadily. The West Antarctic ice sheet is of particular concern because, like a building that stands on an uneven foundation, it is inherently unstable, making it especially vulnerable to the warming climate. If the entire ice sheet were destabilized and melted into the sea, researchers estimate it would lead to 3 meters (9 feet) of sea level rise globally."

I have been congratulating myself for living 100 miles inland at 230' where I will be unaffected by sea level increases but some checking around suggests that if Columbia river levels rise 9', then Portland becomes just as vulnerable to massive city wide flooding as Houston is today and we all know how that turned out . . . our floods will be from high river + heavy rainfall conditions causing levee and riverwall overtopping.

If sea levels and hence inland waterway and coastal river levels rise 9' how will your flooding risk change if at all?

I remember seeing an article somewhere about how satellite data from the 1500’s compared to satellite data from 1000BC showed similar phenomena.

[wdfifteen]

Do changes in sea level affect inland water table?
I've never understood how the below-ground water table works. It seems you can sink a well at the base of a hill and hit water at 40 feet. Sink a well at the top of the hill and you also hit water at 40 feet. I don't get it.

[unclebilly]

Originally Posted by da Vinci Dan

I remember seeing an article somewhere about how satellite data from the 1500’s compared to satellite data from 1000BC showed similar phenomena.

They had satellites in 1000BC? Who knew?

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Do changes in sea level affect inland water table?
I've never understood how the below-ground water table works. It seems you can sink a well at the base of a hill and hit water at 40 feet. Sink a well at the top of the hill and you also hit water at 40 feet. I don't get it.

It's called a perched water table.

Not all subsurface layers are permeable.

Technically, a swimming pool is a perched water table, just man made instead of natural.

[da Vinci Dan]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

They had satellites in 1000BC? Who knew?

Myopicism

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by javadog

None.

Same.

[rockfan4]

Originally Posted by jyl

https://m.slashdot.org/story/337699

"In total, researchers found that Antarctica lost roughly 1,929 gigatons of ice in 2015, which amounts to an increase of roughly 36 gigatons per year every year since 2008. (A gigaton is one billion tons.) Nearly 90% of that increase in loss occurred in West Antarctica, "probably in response to ocean warming," according to NASA. The new data analysis mostly confirms other recent research, but does so with a higher degree of precision by using a new technique that can process a larger amount of satellite data than was possible before.

West Antarctica has been losing a lot of ice in recent years, and at an ever-growing pace, while East Antarctica is losing ice more steadily. The West Antarctic ice sheet is of particular concern because, like a building that stands on an uneven foundation, it is inherently unstable, making it especially vulnerable to the warming climate. If the entire ice sheet were destabilized and melted into the sea, researchers estimate it would lead to 3 meters (9 feet) of sea level rise globally."

I have been congratulating myself for living 100 miles inland at 230' where I will be unaffected by sea level increases but some checking around suggests that if Columbia river levels rise 9', then Portland becomes just as vulnerable to massive city wide flooding as Houston is today and we all know how that turned out . . . our floods will be from high river + heavy rainfall conditions causing levee and riverwall overtopping.

If sea levels and hence inland waterway and coastal river levels rise 9' how will your flooding risk change if at all?

Nobody wants to check their math?
A quick google search says the surface area of the ocean is 360 million square kilometers, the surface area of the Antarctic ice sheet is 14 million square kilometers. How thick would the thickness of the sheet have to be to raise the ocean 3m ?

[recycled sixtie]

Why risk it for a biscuit? Why would a person want to live 10 feet above sea level when they don't have to? The number of locations at 10 above sea level are many. Many locations of this nature are in Florida, Vancouver BC Canada, the Caribean etc etc etc.

May look great but a tsunami could wipe out many . Add to that high tides and ocean levels due storms....

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by jyl

https://m.slashdot.org/story/337699

"In total, researchers found that Antarctica lost roughly 1,929 gigatons of ice in 2015, which amounts to an increase of roughly 36 gigatons per year every year since 2008. (A gigaton is one billion tons.) Nearly 90% of that increase in loss occurred in West Antarctica, "probably in response to ocean warming," according to NASA. The new data analysis mostly confirms other recent research, but does so with a higher degree of precision by using a new technique that can process a larger amount of satellite data than was possible before.

West Antarctica has been losing a lot of ice in recent years, and at an ever-growing pace, while East Antarctica is losing ice more steadily. The West Antarctic ice sheet is of particular concern because, like a building that stands on an uneven foundation, it is inherently unstable, making it especially vulnerable to the warming climate. If the entire ice sheet were destabilized and melted into the sea, researchers estimate it would lead to 3 meters (9 feet) of sea level rise globally."

I have been congratulating myself for living 100 miles inland at 230' where I will be unaffected by sea level increases but some checking around suggests that if Columbia river levels rise 9', then Portland becomes just as vulnerable to massive city wide flooding as Houston is today and we all know how that turned out . . . our floods will be from high river + heavy rainfall conditions causing levee and riverwall overtopping.

If sea levels and hence inland waterway and coastal river levels rise 9' how will your flooding risk change if at all?

Wanna buy a bridge?

[oldE]

Originally Posted by rockfan4

Nobody wants to check their math?
A quick google search says the surface area of the ocean is 360 million square kilometers, the surface area of the Antarctic ice sheet is 14 million square kilometers. How thick would the thickness of the sheet have to be to raise the ocean 3m ?

Quick calc: 45 meters.
That is assuming land based ice mass, not ice that is already floating ie: Ross Sea ice shelf.

Best
Les

[tabs]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

Why risk it for a biscuit? Why would a person want to live 10 feet above sea level when they don't have to? The number of locations at 10 above sea level are many. Many locations of this nature are in Florida, Vancouver BC Canada, the Caribean etc etc etc.

May look great but a tsunami could wipe out many . Add to that high tides and ocean levels due storms....

NYC, New Orleans, Gulf States and Mississippi River basin.

[recycled sixtie]

Add to this hazard are the folks that build houses close to a sea cliff or river bank to capture a good viewpoint.....

[vash]

i would be effed.

but hey, at least the weather is nice!

i would be effed because i assume the sea level coming up 9 feet would drastically change streams and rivers. my house would be flooded by fresh water.

hopefully, i'll be dead and long forgotton.

to add: it isnt just the ice melting. warmer waters are expanding; just like the mercury in your thermometer..that also raises the water level.

[Tervuren]

Jyl, the polar angle of the earth slowly shifts.

Antarctic ice has been trending up, arctic ice trending down. Part of this has to do with the orientation of the earth at its farthest and closest points in orbit.

As continental ice is melting in the north, the land beneath is rising from the release of weight. This means in the northern hemisphere despite rising ocean levels that the coast line is growing farther out to sea instead of shrinking.

Total coast lost vs gained is a net gain despite rising ocean levels.

Your article seems to be looking at ice lost each year, but not factoring in ice regained. As the antarctic ice expands on average, there is a greater radius to lose ice from in summer. This means that growing antarctic ice cap will result in...increased ice lost each year.

Kinda funny.

Southern Florida from past geological data is going to have problems in the future. It has cycled to being with the fishes and out again multiple times, and is currently quite a ways on the going under cycle. Even without "man made global warming" about half of Florida is going under if past cycles repeat.

Our past ocean level data shows that peak ocean levels are fairly steady, but bottom ocean levels are getting lower and lower each cycle, cycles are also happening faster.

If we look at pre-human data we'll find ourselves really hoping for man made climate changes in our future. Without it nature's own course will cycle hard bringing drastic change.

If we like the climate we have now, instead of "stopping human change", the only way to keep it will be a very active climate changing course by humans.

[Hugh R]

Sweet! that means my Oxnard, CA condo which is about 1/2 mile inland will be beachfront property.

[Tobra]

Hugh gets lemons, and makes lemonade. Party at his beachfront condo in a thousand years

[dad911]

9' would be perfect. I can tie a boat to my balcony.