Rising sea levels will not extinguish humanity, but they will
transform life on planet Earth as we know it according to Peter Ward professor of biology and earth sciences at the University of Washington. Here are his predictions in a new book, The
Flooded Earth, which will be published this July.
By 2050: Sea levels will rise 0.5 to 1 meter. Well established coastal cities will battle the rising waters with dikes and levees; other cities will see their underground infrastructure impaired and face building collapse.
By 2300: The seas will rise 20 meters reshaping the world's geography,
forming new rivers and lakes as Antarctica's ice melts. Massive icebergs will form in the southern hemisphere interrupting historic shipping lanes.
2500-3000: the sea will reach its maximum levels completely wiping out coastal cities and forcing massive human and animal migration. Greenland and Antarctica will be transformed into prime
farmlands. In southern regions will face the spread of tropical diseases and the possibility of mass extinctions.
Image above: Red represents areas where temperatures have increased the
most during the last 50 years, particularly in West Antarctica, while dark blue represents areas with a lesser degree of warming. Temperature changes are measured in degrees Celsius. Credit:
NASA/GSFC Scientific Visualization Studio.
Casey Kazan
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Source: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/warming_antarctica.html
