Concern about sea level is one of the major worries connected with the climate changes currently underway. In Rising Seas: Past, Present, Future, geologist Vivien Gornitz takes us through the complex story of the past, present, and possible future of sea level around the planet. Though the factors and interactions that contribute to changes in sea level are interwoven and complex, Gornitz does a commendable job of pulling all the threads together into a book that is very readable for anyone interested in the topic.
After introductory chapters on the nature of sea level and the causes and detection of its changes, Gornitz takes us on a tour of the history of sea level change as seen in the geological record, ending with a look at how the level of the global seas receded during the last Ice Age and began to rebound with its ending. She then takes us through what is known about the changes in sea level within the last century with the perspective of the previous millennia. The author concludes the book with four chapters that look at the possible course of sea level and its consequences in a warming world.
An important chapter, in my opinion, in this finale looks at “Shorelines at Risk”. This chapter, written pre-Hurricane Sandy, shows us some of the dangers we face with sea levels rises predicted by global warming scenarios, and well within the known variability of sea level on time scales that can play out in this century.
I know the debate still echoes through the global community as to the cause and the speed of climate change; however, many indicators show us we are in a changing world, and to ignore the possible consequences may lead to human and economic disasters of major proportions. The impact of Sandy on the New York and New Jersey coastlines shows us how vulnerable we are under present conditions. It is a lesson we should not ignore, and Gornitz ably presents us with the risks we face in the near future.
If you have any interest in coastal areas, impacts of global climate change and changes in sea level, Rising Seas: Past, Present, Future is a must read.
About the Author
Vivien Gornitz is a geologist and special research scientist with the Columbia University Center for Climate Systems Research and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. She has written numerous articles on sea level rise and the impacts of climate change on the coastal zone. She was a contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007 and to the New York City Panel on Climate Change and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority ClimAID in 2010 and 2011.
Rising Seas: Past, Present, Future by Vivien Gornitz, 2013
Columbia University Press, New York, ISBN: 978-0-231-14739-2, Paper, 360 pages
Review written by Keith C. Heidorn, PhD, THE WEATHER DOCTOR,
May 1, 2013
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