The Coastal Impacts of the greenhouse effect

The Greenhouse Effect is a global climatic change which is expected to occur as a result of increasing levels of certain gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. The gases, which include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons are partially opaque to heat radiation emitted from the Earth’s surface. There is evidence to suggest that these gases are building up in the atmosphere mainly as a by-product of industrialization. The build-up will cause heat to be trapped in the lower layers of the atmosphere, thus producing an increase in the temperature of the Earth. Over the last 100 years the Earth’s temperature has risen by about 0.5oC. Over the next 30 to 50 years the temperature is expected to increase by 1.5 to 4.5 oC. such an increase will result in changes to the general circulation of the atmosphere – and hence redistribution of coimatic zones - ans a consequent rise in sea level.