NASA: Rising Sea Levels, Shrinking Ice Has Big Impact On Md.
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—From space to right now on the ground, NASA researchers are racing to keep up with the world's melting ice.
WJZ's Alex DeMetrick reports, their findings have a direct impact on Maryland.
Greenland may have ice a mile thick, but water is running, forming rivers, lakes and waterfalls.
At both north and south poles, ice is unlocking and melting into oceans, which are also warming and expanding. That combination has raised the sea level three inches in 20 years.
"Well, it's a big deal because already we're seeing effects from that. The biggest effect we see now is storm surge change," said Dr. Tom Wagner, NASA scientist.
With sea levels higher, storms push water further inland. For decades, NASA scientists have been using satellites, aerial surveys and ground research to measure ice loss to estimate how fast sea levels will rise. Think of it as early warning.
"We really can't build there because in 50 years we may get routine flooding," Dr. Wagner said.
All that melting ice matters here, because Maryland is among the most vulnerable states for sea level rise.
"You get more sea level rise along the Chesapeake Bay than almost anywhere else along the East Coast," said Jim O'Leary, Maryland Science Center.
Projections show a lot more bay, and a lot less land by the end of this century. Even without storms, high tides will flood places like Crisfield, Annapolis and Fells Point every day. And where ice routinely formed.
"The other place we're losing ice is the polar ice cap. We estimate since the 1980's, we've lost something like three-quarters of the ice that used to be there," Dr. Wagner said.
A big thaw that will raise sea levels by feet, not inches.