91ɫƬ

Even a small cut in global warming will help slow sea level rise

Limiting climate change to 1.5 °C instead of 2 °C, even if we overshoot at first and then bring temperatures back down, will ease the rise in sea levels

GettyImages-639776068

When it comes to avoiding dangerous rises in sea level, every little bit of global warming we can avoid will make a difference.

In Paris in December 2015, world leaders agreed to try to limit warming to 2 °C above pre-industrial levels, and if possible keep it within 1.5 °C.

While a 2 °C limit would be easier politically, it turns out that sticking to 1.5 °C makes quite a difference when it comes to sea level rise.

of Tufts University in Massachusetts and his colleagues simulated sea level rise under different amounts of warming. They found that stabilising temperatures at 1.5°C would lead to seas rising less, and more slowly, than allowing temperatures to reach 2°C. By 2150 – just over a century from now – sea levels would be as much as 17cm lower for a temperature rise of 1.5°C, compared to 2°C. That means fewer coastal communities destroyed.

Even if we “overshoot” and reach 2°C, there’s still an opportunity to minimise the impact. Bringing temperatures back down to 1.5°C would mean 12cm less sea level rise than if we stayed at 2°C.

That’s in line with a 2016 study by of Climate Analytics in Germany. He also found that limiting warming to 1.5°C led to significantly less sea level rise.

“Sea level rise will continue for many centuries, but it will happen more slowly if we limit warming,” says Schleussner.

Environmental Research Letters

Topics: Climate change / Environment / Ocean