Evolution of global mean sea level in the past and as projected for the 21st century

Source Thermal expansion Glaciers & ice caps Greenland ice sheet Antarctic ice sheet Total Observed Sea Level Rise (mm per year)

Thermal Expansion Increased air temperature due to global warming will cause ocean and lake temperatures to increase. When water is heated, the space between the molecules increases, causing volume to increase. In oceans, increased volume will cause sea levels to rise.

So what? What does a 1cm mean?

1cm of sea level rise means 1 meter of coastal land will be lost (on average) Even more land loss in really flat areas, like around the Great Salt Lake Topographic map activity So what? What does a 1cm mean?

Exposure / HazardHealth Outcome Flooding (catastrophic)Deaths (drowning, other causes), injuries, infectious disease, mental health disorders, impacts from interruption of health services and population displacement Impairment of food quality and/or food supplies Food safety; marine bacteria proliferation, shellfish poisoning, malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies Reduced water quality and/or access to potable water supplies Diarrheal disease (giardia and cholera), hepatitis, enteric fevers, water-washed infections Change in transmission intensity or distribution of vector-borne disease Changes in malaria and other mosquito-borne infections Effects on livelihoods, population movement and environmental refugees Health effects are less well described, but large-scale rapid population movement will have severe health implications Public Impacts of Sea Level Rise Hazards

Thermal expansion in your home!

Sources of sea level rise and their contributions in mm per year for the periods and from the IPCC 2007 assessment. Image credit: modified from Bindoff et al., 2007.Bindoff et al., 2007

The hazards associated with sea level rise and their public health impacts as outlined in the IPCC's 2007 assessment. Image credit: modified from Nicholls et al., 2007.Nicholls et al., 2007