Rising Sea Level Case Study - Geography GCSE

Global Warming causes the sea-level to change
-Over the last 15 years, the sea levels have risen by 3mm a year

• Thermal expansion is the main cause of sea level rise as the seawater absorbs heat from the atmosphere  
• Ice melting from glaciers (e.g. in Greenland) also increase the amount of water in the sea - although the effect would not be as great as thermal expansion

East Anglia in the UK is likely to be dramatically affected by rising sea levels as well as large areas of low lying areas in places such as Bangladesh and islands around the world

• 300 people were killed in 1953 in East Anglia after a storm
• Already, two Pacific islands have been submerged and many others have been flooded
• Over 70% of the world's population live on coastal plains - the effect of rising sea-levels could be devastating 

• Settlements at King's Lynn may be under threat as sea levels rise
  -Valuable agricultural land will be at great risk of flooding
• Sea level rise would flood the Norfolk Broads - destroying the economy of the area
  -The Norfolk Broads are a popular tourist destination, with over £5million brought to the local area
• Erosion rates increase as sea levels rise
  -threatens coastal settlements
  -sea defences need strengthening - expensive
• Areas of salt marsh are being squeezed between sea walls and rising sea levels
  -22% of the marshland could be lost by 2050 
• The Thames Barrier protects buildings worth £80bn
  -needs to be replaced soon due to sea level rising
  -large areas of the Thames Estuary are at risk of flooding