Week of April 3rd

Wetlands

Title: Front-Line City in Virginia Tackles Rise in Sea

This article talks about the problems cities on the East Coast of Virginia are having as the sea levels rise. When the sea levels rise, tidal flooding is increasingly disrupting life along the East Coast of Virginia. Many climate scientists are linking this to global warming. Many residents of these cities are using the lunar calendar as a reference for where to park their cars. When there is going to be a full moon, they know not to park their cars in areas that are more susceptible of flooding. Norfolk, VA is getting it worse than many other Virginia cities. Norfolk is located west of the mouth of Chesapeake Bay and is surrounded by water on 3 sides. Much of this water is rivers and streams that feed into the Chesapeake Bay and eventually the ocean. Norfolk was built on a filled-in marsh and currently that fill is settling and compacting. Norfolk is also in an area where significant natural sinking of land is occurring. Since 1930, Norfolk has experienced a 14.5 inch increase in sea level. This is the highest increase in sea level on the East Coast.