Study Finds Sea Level Rise was 60 Percent Higher Than UN Projection

According to NBC News, a newly released peer-reviewed study has concluded that sea levels between 1993 and 2011 rose by 3.2 millimeters per year. This number is nearly 60 percent more than the 2-millimeter annual projection made by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change over the same time period. The disparity between the two numbers raises a point that the projections for the upcoming decades could also be too low and that sea level could rise much more than current estimates predict.



Here are some facts and details about the new study and what it could mean for upcoming climate reports:

* The new study entitled "Comparing climate projections to observations up to 2011" was a collaboration between three researchers: Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, Grant Foster of the consulting firm Tempo Analytics in Maine, and Anny Cazenave of the Laboratory of Geophysics and Spatial Oceanography Studies in France

* The study entitled has been published in the scientific journal Environmental Research Letters and was presented at U.N. climate change conference in Qatar, which will run until Dec. 7, noted Reuters.

* The IPCC's most recent report was issued in 2007 and projected that sea level could rise between 18 and 59 centimeters this century, but Rahmstorf, lead author of the new study, estimates that sea level rise would be between 50 centimeters to a meter.

* The Huffington Post reports that the new study had five more years of data and utilized satellite technology, which offers a broader picture than tide gauges. Additionally, it analyzed the relationship between sea level and temperature, which is a more sophisticated analysis method.

* However, while the researchers found a difference between the projected and observed numbers in sea level rise, they did find that their numbers matched the IPCC's projections regarding a temperature rise of about 0.16 degree Celsius.

* The IPCC projections also matched the researchers' findings on the rise in carbon dioxide concentration.

* Such changes in sea level and average temperatures could mean more extreme weather events, including floods, droughts, and heat waves.

* Low-lying coastal areas like New York City and Tokyo are especially at risk for feeling the impacts of sea level rise. Such changes raise the risk of storm surges and erosion.

* The next IPCC report, which combines numerous scientific studies, is scheduled to be released in March of 2014 and is expected to offer more details on the quantitative changes in sea level, temperature, and the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere.



Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. Currently pursuing her master's degree in environmental science, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.



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