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Interactive Map Predicts the Locations Where Seas Will Rise

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mg21729034.900-2_300Mahé Perrette, a scientist at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, created a new interactive world map, which identifies areas where sea level rise will be the greatest by 2100.

It has been already established that over the past 100 years sea level has been rising unevenly due to the several processes influencing it. Sinking and rising of tectonic plates, different intensities of currents, changing gravitational pull and disappearing ice sheets, are just some of the factors acting on it.

To create the map, Perrette modelled these effects and made predictions for global sea level rises by 2100. He estimated that globally we can expect 30 to 106 centimetres higher sea level, however in the Tropics the values might be up to 30% higher, while at the poles they will be much lower.

The most affected regions will be around the coast of the Indian Ocean including Japan, south-east Australia and Argentina.

Opposite to previous predictions, the weakening of the Atlantic Gulf Stream will slow down the movement of water towards the west, protecting New York. This will trigger rising on the eastern seaboard, however the weaker gravitational pull of Greenland will counteract this process.

A study by Aimée Slangen of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, however indicated that due to the melting of ice in Antarctica will cause rapid sea level rise in the northern hemisphere.

The warning, however, is issued. Perrette advises tropical countries to build defences.

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