The tool makes it possible to access details based on projections of IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report released August 9
It is now possible to see what sea levels will look like across the globe in the years to come: The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has created a visualisation tool that makes data on future sea level rise from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) accessible to the public.
The tool, hosted on NASA’s Sea Level Portal, makes it possible to access details based on projections of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report released August 9, 2021.
The tool is easy to navigate: One needs to pull up the tool’s layers of maps, click anywhere on the global ocean and coastlines, and pick any decade between 2020 and 2150. The tool then pulls up comprehensive data on the projected sea level rise.
Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, program scientist and manager at NASA, said:
“What’s new here is a tool that we are providing to the community, to distribute the latest climate knowledge produced by the IPCC and NASA scientists in an accessible and user-friendly way while maintaining scientific integrity.”
She added that the projection tool would help pave the way to facilitate knowledge sharing, open science and easy access to the state-of-the-art climate science.
“This information is critical to increasing the climate resilience of countries with large coastal populations, infrastructure and economies that are more likely to be impacted by sea level rise,” said Shiffer.
The tool displays possible future sea levels under several greenhouse-gas-emission and socioeconomic scenarios.
These include a low-emissions future (when the world reduces its greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the effects of climate-driven sea level change); a business-as-usual trajectory with emissions on their current track; and an accelerated emissions scenario.
Scientists from NASA said the tool has been developed to help governments to forecast future scenarios and develop coastal resources accordingly.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.