Climate Change Effects on the Coast (4/3-4/7)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Waves_on_Ocean_Coast.jpg

Summary:

Over the past 100 years, burning of fossil fuels and other actions by humans and naturally has released large amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. These dangerous emissions are adding an extra layer (or blanket) to the atmosphere, which has caused the Earth's surface temperature to rise, which is making the oceans absorb about 80% of this additional heat. Big amounts of one of these greenhouse gasses, carbon dioxide is causing the oceans to absorb more of the gas, which is making it more acidic. This can have many impacts on different coastal and marine ecosystems.

People are feeling already lots of coastal effects such as shoreline erosion. Shoreline erosion is when high tides wash over the shore with sand, water, and rocks. This natural process can cause rock and sediment to fall into the water. Another effect is coastal flooding, which is a flood that happens normally when dry land in flooded by seawater. Water pollution is a problem in many areas because it might make it hard to find freshwater. These impacts are serious because they can cause many problems for California's coasts. This can hurt environments and cause people to relocate.

Little islands with little amounts of land and low areas of height are being flooded and the polar ice caps are melting little by little each summer. Along the mid-Atlantic coast, sea levels are rising more, like in an island threatened by flooding called Tuvalu.

The coast is being affected in California because of rising tides. Studies show that sea-level is likely to rise between one and four feet in the next century. A sea level rise of 16 inches could threaten coastal highways, bridges, and the San Francisco and Oakland airports. Along some ocean shores, homes will fall into the water as beaches, hills, and cliffs erode; but along shores where seawalls protect shorefront homes from erosion, beaches may erode and then disappear. The sea could also cover wetlands in San Francisco Bay and other places, which would harm local fisheries and possibly remove feeding habitat for migratory birds.

Some media like the New York Times is talking about other issues of climate change in general, but they are not trying to inform the public about the effects of climate change in the coastal area. Social media is correct on the fact that water levels are rising throughout America.

SP8: Obtain, Evaluate and Communicate information:

This week, I used scientific text to find important information, evidence, and ideas about how Climate Change can affect the coastal area. I obtained information about coastal climate change. My team evaluated this into separate sections and answered the required questions. Then, we communicated the information with other groups to get more ideas and thoughts. This led me to understand that Climate change is a big problem in many different sectors and there are many effects for each of them.