MEXICO: According to a new study from the Universities of Harvard and Rutgers that Sea levels would raise in the 21th century. This means that, in the 21st century, global oceans have risen much more dramatically and may be putting greater pressure on coastal areas than previously thought.
The new study, published Wednesday in the journal Science, was conducted by two researchers, Carling C. Hay and Eric Morrow, working with senior scientists Robert E. Knopp of Rutgers and Jerry X. Mitrovica of Harvard.
According to the study, the annual sea level rise from 1901 to 1990 was about .3 to.6 millimeters less than what scientists predicted for that time period, said lead author Robert Knopp, an associate professor of earth sciences at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
“As you go back through the 20th century, the tide gauge record becomes sparser,” Knopp said in a report by International Business Times. “One of the things we’re interested in is global mean sea level—the volume of water in the ocean.”
But previous research failed to account for ‘gaps’ in tide gauge data, which led to the discrepancy between previous data and Harvard’s data.
Earlier research suggested that sea levels would rise about six inches over the course of the 20th century, but oceans actually rose about five inches. It may not sound like much, but the difference amounts to approximately two quadrillion gallons, or enough to fill three billion Olympic-sized swimming pools, a report by the New York Times said.
If the new findings hold up, they could solve a longstanding problem in climate research and allow for much more accurate prediction of future sea level increases.
For centuries, measurements of sea levels have been taken at harbors using tide gauges. But the tide-gauge record contains many inaccuracies. For example, the land where many gauges are located has shifted substantially over time due to plate tectonics, sedimentation. And local variables such as wind and ocean currents also affect the accuracy of the readings.
