Submitted by Just_a_happy_artist t3_10q94ji in explainlikeimfive
Viv3210 t1_j6on3ki wrote
Reply to comment by spirosand in Eli5: when will oceans actually start rising? by Just_a_happy_artist
The follow-up question is: why don’t “we” see that yet? Is that global, as in are the oceans a perfect ball shape? (My guess is not) What places have already faced consequences?
bradland t1_j6p5kto wrote
I live in South Florida. We see it.
Keep in mind that when they say sea level rise, they’re talking averages. Tides vary already. The ocean level rises and falls on every coastline.
What we’re seeing locally is that high tides inundate areas that weren’t previously subject to inundation, and areas that are normally tidally inundated stay wet longer, and in some places don’t dry out at all.
There’s a local boat ramp nearby that has a storm drain that stays flooded to the top pretty much all the time now. When I was a kid it would only flood with the tide.
We’re also seeing tremendous beach erosion. The shore is at a gradual slope, so every inch or rise moves the shore break a foot or so closer to the dune. This erodes the dune and makes for a short, steep beach.
When I was a kid, you could play frisbee in front of a local beachside pizza shop. That same shop is now atop a sea wall. There is nothing between it and the sea.
breckenridgeback t1_j6oomo9 wrote
> The follow-up question is: why don’t “we” see that yet?
We do see it. It has consequences along the coasts everywhere in the world.
The reason it's not, like, submerging entire continents is that most land is more than 9 inches above sea level.
OculusArcana t1_j6p4qe6 wrote
This is BULLSHIT! I want my beachfront property in Nevada YESTERDAY!! Somebody get me Lex Luthor on the phone!!!
breckenridgeback t1_j6p4uvk wrote
I regret to inform you that the Nevada desert is at an elevation of about 4000 feet.
elkarion t1_j6pgra8 wrote
We're hoping for water to hydralicly split the fault line off so Cali leaves sooner. We need to start filling that sucker now.
Spadeninja t1_j6p5hit wrote
I’ve got a beach house I can sell you in Idaho
Annanake420 t1_j6piaja wrote
Arizona here can confirm.
spirosand t1_j6oov08 wrote
Miami and NYC are feeling the effects, king high tides are problematic. It's pretty much worldwide.
Sand beaches just move with the sea level, so there isn't much visible effect.
The ocean is seldom just calm, so it's hard to see actual photos of direct sea level rise. It's more that more and more places are flooding.
aspheric_cow t1_j6orxb7 wrote
We do see it, mainly in the form of flooding from storms. The flooding is worse because the sea level is high to begin with, and you've got storm surges etc. on top of that. Many coastal cities are building flood barriers.
Mr_Bo_Jandals t1_j6p2fov wrote
The Solomon islands
https://amp.9news.com.au/article/3712f288-6c55-4b5e-aeb6-96adefb1e2bc
Any-Broccoli-3911 t1_j6or03c wrote
Because you don't live in a low altitude region most likely, which is normal since most people live a lot more than 1 meter above the sea level and we won't even get an increase of 1 meter by 2100 in most prediction (though we will get close).
Also, most low altitude regions have dikes to block the sea and river from flooding the land.
NdavG100 t1_j6oo2zz wrote
If i'm not mistaken there is an island which has started to be drowned and lost like a quarter of its area
maveric_gamer t1_j6os8j0 wrote
I think you're thinking of Tuvalu - they're a Polynesian island nation that are currently trying to recreate all of their cultural heritage digitally and back it up into online spaces to preserve it, as it is one of the first nations to have a significant portion of its land area submerged by rising sea levels.
nim_opet t1_j6oo6oh wrote
We do see it. Pretty much every coastal community is affected; some are more low lying so it’s more noticeable, some coastlines are simply higher and effects such as loss of land are not noticeable.
Swedish-Butt-Whistle t1_j6pfi6r wrote
Newtok Alaska is a perfect example of this happening already.
Few know about it because Americans collectively don’t care about what happens to indigenous people. If this was happening in Manhattan the whole world would hear about it.
[deleted] t1_j6pfyey wrote
[deleted]
-au-re-li-us- t1_j6ouyiw wrote
The ocean is actually something of an oblong oval that is pulled into that shape by the gravity of the moon. The tides are this oval being rotated around the earth as it (the earth) moves relatively to the moon and vice versa.
formerly_gruntled t1_j6p8ij9 wrote
Ask the folks in Newport News VA about their flooding ocean from streets.
notacanuckskibum t1_j6pcfsq wrote
Check out what has been happening with high tides in Venice.
los-gokillas t1_j6p66d8 wrote
You can see it if you look. I've had a favorite walking spot on the coast of New Hampshire and I can definitely see now how the coast has eroded in the last three years
Potato_Octopi t1_j6p3zer wrote
You're not going to notice 9 inches over 100 years vs the daily rise and fall of tides.
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