Image of the Day: Wave-cut Coastal Scarp Near the Varandei Oil Terminal, Pechora Sea

Wave-cut coastal scarp near the Varandei oil terminal, Pechora Sea, Russia. Source: S. Ogorodov, Arctic Coastal Dynamics Coastal Photo Collection, Potsdam Climate change can also be a catalyst for expanding industrial activities in the Arctic. Retreating sea-ice will make new areas available for shipping and offshore oil and gas activities, while increasing wave erosion hazards […]

New report confirms Arctic melt accelerating, estimates up to 1.6 meter sea-level rise

By KARL RITTER, Associated Press3 May 2011 STOCKHOLM – Arctic ice is melting faster than expected and could raise the average global sea level by as much as five feet this century, an authoritative new report suggests. The study by the international Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, or AMAP, is one of the most comprehensive […]

Rising seas ‘the most terrifying of all climate change impacts’

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent; Editing by Janet Lawrence27 April 2011 OSLO (Reuters) – Sea level rise is the “most terrifying” impact of climate change and rich countries are showing scant leadership in addressing the threats, the incoming chair of a U.N. alliance of small island states said on Tuesday. Marlene Moses, the U.N. ambassador […]

Melting ice in Canada Arctic bigger player in sea-level rise

Washington, April 22 (IANS) – Melting glaciers and ice caps on Canadian Arctic islands play a much greater role in sea-level rise than scientists previously suspected. For instance, the 550,000-square-mile Canadian Arctic Archipelago contains some 30,000 islands. Between 2004 and 2009, the region lost the equivalent of three-quarters of the water in Lake Erie, found […]

Rising sea levels trigger disasters in China

By Ben Blanchard; Editing by Chris Lewis and Robert Birsel20 April 2011 BEIJING (Reuters) – Gradually rising sea levels caused by global warming over the past 30 years have contributed to a growing number of disasters along China’s coast, state news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday. Sea levels along China’s coastline had risen 2.6 mm […]

Graph of the Day: The Condition of Massachusetts Sea Walls

In 2007, Massachusetts commissioned a study of publicly owned sea walls and other coastal-defense structures, grading each on its condition and potential damage to property if it failed. A sea wall can be in poor condition but be a low priority to fix because if it failed, few homes or other infrastructure would be damaged. […]

New England: ‘Fighting a losing battle with the sea’

By Beth Daley, Boston Globe Staff 3 April 2011 SCITUATE — A piercing wail startled Gary and Paula Elsmore awake at 3 a.m. Paula knelt on the bed and peered out the upstairs bedroom window. In the blinding snow, she could barely make out a neighbor waving up at her frantically. The ocean was coming. […]

Musk ox herd perishes in storm surge in Alaska preserve

By Mike CampbellMarch 28, 2011 At least 32 musk oxen in the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve perished during a nasty storm surge last month, and officials are worried many more may be buried deeper in the ice and out of sight. The carcasses were discovered March 15 frozen in ice on the northern coast […]

Graph of the Day: Polar Ice Mass Balance, 1992-2010

Caption by Mike Carlowicz, with background from Alan BuisMarch 26, 2011 According to a new NASA-funded satellite study, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing mass at an accelerating pace and are overtaking ice loss from mountain glaciers and ice caps to become the dominant contributor to global sea level rise. The graph above […]

Study says Navy must adapt to climate change

By JOHN M. BRODERMarch 10, 2011 A report commissioned by the United States Navy concludes that climate change will pose profound challenges for the sea service in coming decades, including a need to secure Arctic shipping lanes, prepare for more frequent humanitarian missions and protect coastal installations from rising seas. The 15-month study, conducted by […]

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