Climate Change:Sea Level Rise

Climate ChangeWeather vs. Climate

Weather: day to day changes in temperature, rainfall, cloudiness, moisture

Climate: long term changes in weather patterns on our planet

Effects of climate change: Sea level rise (today’s activity)Warmer sea surface temperaturesDrought (water shortage), flooding

Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System

Divers work on sensors at the Kilo Nalu Reef Observatory which

monitor water quality and temperature

HIOOS Coastal Wave

Buoy Measurements

Wave buoys monitor wave

height, direction, and period around

the Pacific Ocean

CO2 Buoy – South Shore Oahu

Photo courtesy of R. David Beales, UH Creative Services

TemperatureCarbon Dioxide

SalinityOxygen

ChlorophyllTurbidity

HIOOS Coastal Wave

Buoy Measurements

Sea Level Stations

Tide gauge stations all over the world continuously monitor water level

CO2 and Climate ChangeGreenhouse effect – makes

life on Earth possibleCO2 comes from natural

and man made sources:Natural: animal respiration,

volcanoesMan made: burning fossil

fuels (cars, planes, electricity), deforestation (cutting/burning trees)

Too much CO2 causes too much warming

What affects sea level on short time scales?•Tides

•Weather • storms, hurricanes, waves

•El Nino • can lower or raise sea level depending on location

What causes global sea level rise?Climate Change

Increasing temperatures cause melting ice in alpine glaciers, Greenland, and Antarctica

Warming causes thermal expansion of ocean water – like air and other fluids, water expands as the temperature increases

Types of iceLand-based ice

(freshwater)Glaciers, icebergsIce sheets (Antarctica and

Greenland)Alpine (mountain) ice

Sea ice (seawater)Forms in the sea as water

freezesFloating in water

Glacier

Alpine Ice

Sea Ice

Photo credit: NSIDC

What are the effects of sea level rise?

Coastal flooding

Contaminating drinking water with seawater

Increases impact of storms

Increases risk of coastal erosion

Future Sea Level RisePrediction: Sea

level will rise 1 m (3.3 ft) in the next 100 years

Many areas in Hawaii are close to sea level

Data from UH Coastal Geology Group