SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA — Researchers from the California Ocean Protection Council authority is warning that melting ice shelves in Antarctica could cause sea levels to rise, with the most dramatic increase expected in California.
According to a report by the council’s Science Advisory Team, for every foot of global sea-level rise caused by the melting West Antarctic, sea levels will rise approximately 1.25 feet in the California coast.
Researchers theorize that due to Earth’s rotation and gravitational pull, melting ice in Antarctica — particularly in the western portion — is pulled toward the California coast. This makes rising sea levels more dramatic in the region.
In 2100, sea levels could rise as high as 6.9 feet in San Francisco and 7.1 feet in La Jolla.
The council plans to hold a series of workshops and propose measures to address the danger of rising sea levels.
