Global Warming Causes Land to Rise in Alaska

Most warnings of melting icebergs predict sea levels will rise and coastal land will be lost; however, the opposite effect is taking place in Alaska. Land is rising in Alaska as glaciers melt causing the sea to retreat. The New York Times explains:

The geology is complex, but it boils down to this: Relieved of billions of tons of glacial weight, the land has risen much as a cushion regains its shape after someone gets up from a couch. The land is ascending so fast that the rising seas -- a ubiquitous byproduct of global warming -- cannot keep pace.

Glaciers near Juneau are retreating at a rate of 30 feet a year, not only causing the land to rise, but water tables to fall. Property boundaries are shifting, and ecosystems are threatened by the climate changes. Land near Juneau may rise as much as three feet by 2100 from global warming.

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Posted by Jennifer Lance at May 19, 2009 1:40 AM