3 ms·

As I was reading these comments I was reminded of some articles I read quite some time ago about the impact of global warming produced sea level rise on contain

As I was reading these comments I was reminded of some articles I read quite some time ago about the impact of global warming produced sea level rise on container ports. Many existing ports weren't built with sea level rise in mind, and building new container ports is expensive and takes quite a while. A quick search on "sea level rise container ports" produced articles that said a lot of the impact depends on the amount of sea level rise. Five feet or less will probably not affect current ports very much; as the sea level rise gets higher the impact on existing ports becomes greater. Would anyone who knows more about this topic care to comment?

ksdale 5y ago
I am not a person who knows much, but google says that current sea level rises are between 3 and 4 millimeters a year. At that rate it will take 300 years to reach 5 feet. It seems like increasingly severe storms will (would) have an impact a century before sea level itself becomes a problem, even in places where the sea level is already basically a problem.
- devdas 5y ago
  This is not a linear system.
- xnyan 5y ago
  > between 3 and 4 millimeters a year. Due to the geography of the earth as well as other factors, the effects and experience of sea level rise is not the same everywhere. At this moment the sea level at the port of Miami is 8 inches about the 1950 level, significantly more than 3-4mm a year and the rate is accelerating. Also keep in mind the sea does not need to permanently cover land to make it unlivable. It's well within the realm of possibility that due to expanded floodplains, increased intensity and frequency of storms, that portions of Miami could be unlivable in as little as 30 years, and the entire city unlivable by the end of the century. There's virtually no chance that all the populated areas on the costs will remain livable in the same timeframe.
  - damnedspot 5y ago
    8" = 203 mm 203 mm / 71 years = 2.86mm/year I share your concern though, probably this just wasn't a good example.
    - spfzero 5y ago
      I guess not everyone has the superpower of primary school math?

ksdale 5y ago

I am not a person who knows much, but google says that current sea level rises are between 3 and 4 millimeters a year. At that rate it will take 300 years to reach 5 feet. It seems like increasingly severe storms will (would) have an impact a century before sea level itself becomes a problem, even in places where the sea level is already basically a problem.

devdas 5y ago
This is not a linear system.
xnyan 5y ago
> between 3 and 4 millimeters a year. Due to the geography of the earth as well as other factors, the effects and experience of sea level rise is not the same everywhere. At this moment the sea level at the port of Miami is 8 inches about the 1950 level, significantly more than 3-4mm a year and the rate is accelerating. Also keep in mind the sea does not need to permanently cover land to make it unlivable. It's well within the realm of possibility that due to expanded floodplains, increased intensity and frequency of storms, that portions of Miami could be unlivable in as little as 30 years, and the entire city unlivable by the end of the century. There's virtually no chance that all the populated areas on the costs will remain livable in the same timeframe.
- damnedspot 5y ago
  8" = 203 mm 203 mm / 71 years = 2.86mm/year I share your concern though, probably this just wasn't a good example.
  - spfzero 5y ago
    I guess not everyone has the superpower of primary school math?