The ocean level by the end of 2100 may rise by a meter, but St. Petersburg is relatively safe because the land underneath is rising, a leading researcher at the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute told RIA Novosti, one of the authors of the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Change Climate (IPCC) Alexey Ekaikin.
At the end of September, the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) "The Ocean and the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate" was published. The authors of the report suggest that by 2100, the ocean level in the worst-case scenario could rise to one meter. Such dramatic changes will be caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and, as a result, a rapid rise in global temperature.
“People represent the earth as a ball. If we pour water on the ball, then it should rise evenly, but this is not the case. The shape of the earth is not a perfect ball, and the shape of the earth changes, there are also vertical movements of the earth's crust. Venice is a classic example. In the Venice area, the land itself sinks down. That is, it is not only the sea that rises, it is also the land that descends. On the other hand, there is St. Petersburg, where the land rises a little,”said Yekaykin.
He also cited the example of sinking Jakarta, where the land sinks because people pump groundwater to drink, that is, it is about the misuse of resources.
“Therefore, St. Petersburg is in relative safety compared to the cities of Europe and Jakarta,” the scientist specified.
He also noted that ocean level rise is complicated by underwater topography, sea water dynamics and the rate of water expansion due to warming. The difference in water level rise for different regions of the planet can be plus or minus 30 percent.