Recent German research reveals - Sea level increases lead to an increase in seismic activity.
A team of researchers from Potsdam and the University of Southern California have just released a study revealing the link between rising sea levels and an increase in earthquakes.
Sea level rises are putting more pressure on tectonic plates, leading to changes in seismic cycles and, ultimately, more earthquakes. Areas that are likely to see an increase in earthquakes are coastal regions worldwide.
Earth is bearing the brunt
The researchers also mention that the ever-stronger occurrence of extreme weather events, such as storms, is putting even more pressure on the earth's plates. Effectively, our planet is being stressed out.
The issue: Rising sea levels have seen a significant increase in recent years. Between 1901 and 1990, the increase was 1.4 millimeters per year, while between 1970 and 2015 it went up to 2.1 millimeters and then reached 3.6 millimeters between 2006 and 2015. Scientists believe that with the melting of all land ice, there could be an eventual increase of about 70 meters. These massive water masses exert immense pressure on the tectonic plates.
Half the world's population at risk
Alarmingly, about 40% of the world's population already resides in the most at-risk coastlines today. The majority of these people live in megacities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, Istanbul, and Tokyo-Yokohama. However, rapidly growing megacities in developing countries are also particularly endangered.
Prof. Marco Bohnhoff from GFZ: "Minor fluctuations in sea level, even just a few centimeters, can trigger earthquakes. Our studies show this."
