OSLO - Global warming may cause the world's ocean levels to rise by as much as 140 cms (4 ft 7 in) by 2100, according to new findings published in the online edition of the journal Science.
Researchers said that the current projections of sea level rise might not be correct, as the impact of climate change had been under estimated.
The researchers concluded this after measuring global mean surface temperatures against sea level rise. They said that the water levels could rise by 59 percent more than currently estimated. This needs to be taken into account when planning "coastal defenses," the researchers added.
"The possibility of a faster sea level rise needs to be considered when planning adaptation measures such as coastal defenses," said lead researcher Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
A panel that forecasts sea level rise to the United Nations had predicted a 9-88 cms rise b 2100, but the current paper says that the rise could very well be in the region of 50-140 cms. Even a small rise of one meter may have fatal consequences for low-lying areas like Bangladesh or Florida and damage cities from New York to Buenos Aires.
The research conducted jointly by Germany and the US also said that the level of waters rising was directly proportional to global warming. Rahmstorf admitted that the physics behind the phenomenon was difficult to understand. "Understanding global sea level changes is a difficult physical problem, as a number of complex mechanisms with different timescales play a role," he added.
Rahmstorf said that there was still time to avert a disaster, but the pace at which the Kyoto Protocol renewal talks were proceeding "gives you the impression that governments are not very well aware of how urgent the whole problem has become".
