Question
Sea level will rise and some coastal cities may be submerged?
(use evidence from this text)
“The land is part of me...”
"The future kind of scares me, just thinking about how we're going to survive." says 18-year old Harlie Potter, an Inuit living in the autonomous area of Nunatsiavut in Newfoundland, Canada. Today, warming is most noticeable in the polar regions, especially in the Arctic.
How Will Climate Change in the Future?
Earth’s temperature will keep rising unless greenhouse gas emissions are curbed. The temperature in 2100 may be as much as 5° C (9° F) higher than it was in 2000. Is 5° C (9° F) a lot? It's more than the increase in temperature from the the times of maximum ice during the Pleistocene to now. Since the end of the Pleistocene, the temperature has only risen about 4° C. That's just 4° C from abundant ice to the moderate climate we have today. How might a 5° C increase in temperature affect Earth in the future?
Warming will affect the entire globe by the end of this century. The map in Figure below shows how much temperatures will change by 2050 based on NOAA’s Coupled Climate 2.1 model. The Arctic and inland areas are predicted to see a higher temperature increase, while the temperature increase in coastal areas and the Southern Ocean are likely to be more moderate.
Map showing projected surface air temperature changes by 2050 according to NOAA climate model.
[Figure 2]
The Arctic will experience the greatest temperature changes.
What Will Happen?
As temperature rises, more sea ice will melt. The figure below shows how much less sea ice there may be in 2050 if temperatures keep going up (Figure below). This would cause sea level to rise even higher. Some coastal cities could be under water. Millions of people would have to move inland. How might other living things be affected?
Comparison of Arctic sea ice thickness in the 1950s and projected for the 2050s.
[Figure 3]
In the 2050s, there may be only half as much sea ice as there was in the 1950s.
Weather will become more extreme. Heat waves and droughts will become more frequent and more intense. Areas that previously were humid, like the Amazon rainforest, will become drier. Cropland worldwide will be affected by drought. Other places may flood more frequently as hurricanes and other storms become more severe.
Plants and animals will move or die out. Some will thrive in a warmer world, but most will not. The biosphere may become quite different.
These are only a few of the impacts warmer temperatures will have. The vast majority of scientists agree that this is what is happening
(use evidence from this text)
“The land is part of me...”
"The future kind of scares me, just thinking about how we're going to survive." says 18-year old Harlie Potter, an Inuit living in the autonomous area of Nunatsiavut in Newfoundland, Canada. Today, warming is most noticeable in the polar regions, especially in the Arctic.
How Will Climate Change in the Future?
Earth’s temperature will keep rising unless greenhouse gas emissions are curbed. The temperature in 2100 may be as much as 5° C (9° F) higher than it was in 2000. Is 5° C (9° F) a lot? It's more than the increase in temperature from the the times of maximum ice during the Pleistocene to now. Since the end of the Pleistocene, the temperature has only risen about 4° C. That's just 4° C from abundant ice to the moderate climate we have today. How might a 5° C increase in temperature affect Earth in the future?
Warming will affect the entire globe by the end of this century. The map in Figure below shows how much temperatures will change by 2050 based on NOAA’s Coupled Climate 2.1 model. The Arctic and inland areas are predicted to see a higher temperature increase, while the temperature increase in coastal areas and the Southern Ocean are likely to be more moderate.
Map showing projected surface air temperature changes by 2050 according to NOAA climate model.
[Figure 2]
The Arctic will experience the greatest temperature changes.
What Will Happen?
As temperature rises, more sea ice will melt. The figure below shows how much less sea ice there may be in 2050 if temperatures keep going up (Figure below). This would cause sea level to rise even higher. Some coastal cities could be under water. Millions of people would have to move inland. How might other living things be affected?
Comparison of Arctic sea ice thickness in the 1950s and projected for the 2050s.
[Figure 3]
In the 2050s, there may be only half as much sea ice as there was in the 1950s.
Weather will become more extreme. Heat waves and droughts will become more frequent and more intense. Areas that previously were humid, like the Amazon rainforest, will become drier. Cropland worldwide will be affected by drought. Other places may flood more frequently as hurricanes and other storms become more severe.
Plants and animals will move or die out. Some will thrive in a warmer world, but most will not. The biosphere may become quite different.
These are only a few of the impacts warmer temperatures will have. The vast majority of scientists agree that this is what is happening
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The text provides a compelling argument about the future impacts of climate change, particularly through the lens of rising sea levels that threaten coastal cities. Several key pieces of evidence support the assertion that sea levels will rise and that some coastal areas may eventually be submerged:
1. **Melting Sea Ice**: The text explains that as global temperatures rise, more sea ice will melt, leading to an increase in sea levels. This is crucial, as the loss of sea ice directly contributes to rising water levels, which can inundate coastal regions.
2. **Projected Sea Level Rise**: It is stated that the consequences of increased temperatures could mean that "some coastal cities could be under water." This highlights the serious risk of flooding and submersion of lower-lying urban areas, prompting millions to relocate inland.
3. **Evidence of Temperature Increase**: The text outlines predictions for significant temperature increases by the year 2100, suggesting that if greenhouse gas emissions are not curtailed, temperatures may rise by 5° C (9° F). This extreme temperature rise is compared to historical climate shifts and implies drastic changes in climate patterns that would further exacerbate issues like sea level rise.
4. **Extreme Weather Events**: The prediction of more extreme weather phenomena, such as hurricanes and severe storms, would also contribute to coastal flooding, compounding the effects of rising sea levels. Areas that are traditionally safe may face new risks due to intensified storms, leading to increased vulnerability.
5. **Impact on Population**: The text emphasizes that as sea levels rise and coastal cities face submersion, there will be a forced migration of millions of people moving inland, indicating significant societal impacts alongside the environmental changes.
In summary, the text presents a clear and evidence-based outlook regarding the consequences of climate change, particularly focusing on sea level rise and its potential to submerge coastal cities, leading to severe habitat and human displacement.
1. **Melting Sea Ice**: The text explains that as global temperatures rise, more sea ice will melt, leading to an increase in sea levels. This is crucial, as the loss of sea ice directly contributes to rising water levels, which can inundate coastal regions.
2. **Projected Sea Level Rise**: It is stated that the consequences of increased temperatures could mean that "some coastal cities could be under water." This highlights the serious risk of flooding and submersion of lower-lying urban areas, prompting millions to relocate inland.
3. **Evidence of Temperature Increase**: The text outlines predictions for significant temperature increases by the year 2100, suggesting that if greenhouse gas emissions are not curtailed, temperatures may rise by 5° C (9° F). This extreme temperature rise is compared to historical climate shifts and implies drastic changes in climate patterns that would further exacerbate issues like sea level rise.
4. **Extreme Weather Events**: The prediction of more extreme weather phenomena, such as hurricanes and severe storms, would also contribute to coastal flooding, compounding the effects of rising sea levels. Areas that are traditionally safe may face new risks due to intensified storms, leading to increased vulnerability.
5. **Impact on Population**: The text emphasizes that as sea levels rise and coastal cities face submersion, there will be a forced migration of millions of people moving inland, indicating significant societal impacts alongside the environmental changes.
In summary, the text presents a clear and evidence-based outlook regarding the consequences of climate change, particularly focusing on sea level rise and its potential to submerge coastal cities, leading to severe habitat and human displacement.