Water Rising is a Big Problem

In recent times, well not so recent, the idea of water rising has been around for quite a long time, yet it seems like many fail to acknowledge the big consequences it holds. The rising of sea levels is a result of the combination of glaciers melting and the thermal expansion of the seawater. The melting of glaciers is quite directly due to the excess carbon production that is destroying the ozone layer of the end poles of the earth. This is a problem because the ozone layer protects us by absorbing harmful ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation from the sun. So consequently, when the ozone layer is destroyed, the glaciers of our earth will slowly begin to melt due to the strong radiation from the sun, ultimately resulting in rising sea levels and global warming. According to climate.nasa.org, “Earth’s global sea levels are rising – and are doing so at an accelerating rate. Waters in the ocean are expanding as they absorb massive amounts of heat trapped by greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. Glaciers and ice sheets are adding hundreds of gigatons of meltwater into the oceans each year. The land surface along the coasts is also creeping up and down, affecting relative sea-level rise. People are feeling the impacts, as seemingly small increments of sea-level rise become big problems along coastlines worldwide.”

Glaciers in places like Alaska, High Mountain Asia, South America, and the Canadian Arctic are warming up. Over the last decade, nearly all glaciers have been shrinking.

There have also been thermal expansions that have been affecting many regions of the world. “Currents and winds move this newly warmed and expansive water around, and that warmer water influences the strengths and patterns of ocean currents. Instruments like the Argo floats from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego collect temperature and other data on the ocean waters”(climate.nasa.org). The big problem with inconsistent currents and winds is the fact that it differs along every region. Which makes the global circulation messed up, which directly affects many sea creatures who depend upon the circulation and currents for survival. 

Overall, the idea of water rising has not been as widely known as many other future environmental concerns, yet it is still a big issue that can impact the world immensely. An action that we can take to stop or at least slow down water rising is by reducing our carbon footprints.