There are four reasons for the rise in sea levels in America. The first reason is in Antarctica, Greenland where mountain glaciers are present; there are 1,700 trillion pounds of ice that melts into the sea each year. The ice that melts from the glaciers goes from the land to the sea causing sea levels to rise everywhere. The second reason is that the ocean is also getting warmer every year; with the ocean getting warmer the ocean expands making the sea level higher (this process is known as thermal expansion). The third reason comes with the melting of the ice brings fresh water into the Gulf Stream where there is salt water present. The two does not mix the fresh water has no salt which makes it lighter than the salt water causing the water
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In Dr. Okpodu power point presentation she gives an example of how Hurricane Nor Ida a Nor’easter storm hit the Norfolk, Virginia and because of so much rain falls (18 inches) there was a rise in sea level causing flooding in the area. This flooding caused 25 million dollars in cleanup for Norfolk alone. If the climate warms to 2 degrees the sea level rise will rise and continue for centuries (Sutter, 2015). If sea levels rise cities like Norfolk, Washington D.C., Houston, and Miami will suffer from immense flooding. We already see examples of this from the current events that happened in Houston with Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Harvey dropped 40-52 inches of rainfall in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. Leaving cities like Houston underwater (Hurricane Harvey Recap, 2017). We just see how in Dr. Okpodu presentation of how in Norfolk, Virginia the flooding of the waters covered streets and we see how the trash and debris that are in the water can cause environmental issues for Norfolk, VA. These cities that are located on coast such as Miami are going to have to worry with the flooding and sea rise their cities being underwater and the tremendous cost to get the city back running effectively (for example clean up). Not to mention the displacement of many people due to the loss of their
In Dr. Okpodu power point presentation she gives an example of how Hurricane Nor Ida a Nor’easter storm hit the Norfolk, Virginia and because of so much rain falls (18 inches) there was a rise in sea level causing flooding in the area. This flooding caused 25 million dollars in cleanup for Norfolk alone. If the climate warms to 2 degrees the sea level rise will rise and continue for centuries (Sutter, 2015). If sea levels rise cities like Norfolk, Washington D.C., Houston, and Miami will suffer from immense flooding. We already see examples of this from the current events that happened in Houston with Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Harvey dropped 40-52 inches of rainfall in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. Leaving cities like Houston underwater (Hurricane Harvey Recap, 2017). We just see how in Dr. Okpodu presentation of how in Norfolk, Virginia the flooding of the waters covered streets and we see how the trash and debris that are in the water can cause environmental issues for Norfolk, VA. These cities that are located on coast such as Miami are going to have to worry with the flooding and sea rise their cities being underwater and the tremendous cost to get the city back running effectively (for example clean up). Not to mention the displacement of many people due to the loss of their