Water level in Mediterranean Sea over the past 20 years has grown at a much higher rate than in the entire twentieth century, confirming the most alarming scenarios for the course of climate change. This is evidenced by the studies of scientists from National Oceanographic Center (NOC) from the United Kingdom, who used a new method to measure changes in sea level. Research published in a scientific journal “Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans”demonstrated that sea level rise is strongly increasing throughout the Mediterranean and especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Adriatic, the Aegean and the Levant.

Sea levels in the Mediterranean rose by about 7 centimeters between 2000 and 2018, according to a study. As noted in a post on his website British National Oceanographic Center, “past changes in sea level rise in the Mediterranean have been highly unpredictable due to limited observational data. Using this latest method, the scientists analyzed tide gauge and satellite data, revealing a very large increase as a result of warming oceans and melting ice on land.”

Dr Francisco Mir Calafat, one of the chief scientists of the NOC team on marine physics and ocean climate, said: “Studies show that climate change has significantly accelerated sea level rise in the Mediterranean since 2000 due to increased melting of sea ice on land. This is especially true in the Adriatic, Aegean and Levantine Seas, where sea levels are rising even faster than in the rest of the Mediterranean.” He added: “For the first time, we can clearly distinguish between natural fluctuations in sea levels and changes caused by ongoing human impact on the Mediterranean, based on observations alone. We achieved this by analyzing tide gauge and satellite altimetry data, as well as models of sea level response to melting ice sheets that explain how it rises thousands of miles away from melting ice sheets.”

As noted by the eminent scientist, “The new estimates will allow us to detect accelerating sea level rise much earlier, giving us more time to improve adaptation.” This is very important, especially for the Mediterranean, where the cities, the economy, the whole culture has largely developed near the sea.

“This is an important research work by a very respected team. The picture is clear: in general, the level of the Mediterranean Sea seems to be rising faster than the world’s oceans, and in the Mediterranean, it is the eastern parts, including the Aegean Sea, that show the greatest upward trend. says Mr. Nikos Michalopoulos “K”.Director of the Observatory’s Institute for Ecological Research and Sustainable Development and Scientific Supervisor National Climate Change Network (CLIPMACT).

A study by the British National Oceanographic Center records a spectacular acceleration of this phenomenon, which is associated with the melting of continental ice.

“Sea level rise usually follows a temperature rise curve. Until the end of the 80s, the uptrend is very “soft”. After 1990, he starts to get cool. In the Aegean Sea, an increase of 4 millimeters per year is recorded,” emphasizes Mr. Michalopoulos, recalling that the Mediterranean Sea as a whole is warming up faster than the average seas of the planet. “Rising the temperature itself increases the volume of water due to expansion. In addition, the melting of ice affects,” he adds.

A recent study of the UK NOC confirms similar studies of the previous interval. Research conducted by the University of Siegen in Germany, in collaboration with scientists from Spain, France, Norway and the Netherlands, showed that until 1990 the level rose by about 1.1 millimeters per year on average per decade. But from 1993 to 2012, a study showed that the rise in water levels was now 3.1 millimeters per year per decade, nearly tripling. This study was broader and not limited to the Mediterranean. According to the head of the research team Senke Dangendorf, the reason for the sharp increase in recent decades was the fact that throughout the 20th century, sea level rise was due to the melting of land glaciers and the expansion of sea water as it warmed up. , and accelerates in the 21st century due to the melting of the glaciers of Greenland and Antarctica.

Protective Measures

It is expected that the NOC study and the data collected will help local authorities develop appropriate coastal protection measures. “The ability to accurately predict regional sea level rise is critical to ensuring that the right coastal adaptation strategies are developed and implemented. Mediterranean World Heritage Sites, located in one of the most vulnerable areas affected by climate change, are already at risk of flooding and coastal erosion,” the researchers report.

However, the main problem is that, as seen from the ongoing climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, despite worrying trends, governments seem unwilling to take the necessary action.