The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is one of the major areas at risk for flooding due to sea-level rise.
This possibility is starting to get more real as we watch one of the greatest melting events on Greenland’s ice sheet.
The record heatwave that hit Europe moved north and is now delivering record highs in Greenland. This is accelerating ice melting and creating what Meteorologist Eric Holthaus says is a “climate emergency.”
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Scientists have been watching this ice sheet for years, tracking the trends of melting. Currently, it’s the biggest contributor to modern-day sea level rise. So, knowing the pace of melting and how closely it meets the projections will help us better gauge the impacts.
If the melting continues at the current rate, in 50 years sea level would rise one to four inches. In 80 years it would rise 5-13 inches. And in 200 years it would be up a whopping 19-63 inches!
With just one foot of sea-level rise, areas in the Delta go underwater. As sea level rises toward 10 feet, parts of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys go underwater.
If Greenland’s entire ice sheet melted, it would raise global sea levels by 23 feet and Sacramento would be one of the major U.S. cities underwater.
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