Re:Why Is Sea Level Rise Worse in Some Places?
by kergonath on Tuesday April 11, 2023 @02:58PM
(#35529724)
> That’s mostly accurate
No, that is mostly inaccurate. Thermal expansion is small, but there is an awful lot of water. As you point out yourself, thermal expansion contributes about half the sea level rise. Oceans absorb energy just like the atmosphere does and this effect has been known for quite a while (e.g. https://www.nature.com/articles/330127a0 ).
The important thing to remember is even a 1 part in 1,000 decrease in density * 2km of depth = 2m of expansion. Ballpark estimates aren’t enough you really need fairly detailed simulations to get any significant accuracy. Actually doing such simulations shows meaningful sea level rise from thermal expansion at ~0.07 inches per year or roughly half the current rate of increase. This might not sound like much, but consider that volume of sand you need to replace to maintain beaches etc etc.