Zyra TV //// Misconceptions //// Ecology //// site index


Waterworld


Global Warming could cause the sea level to rise. Terrible disaster, worldwide flooding. But if ALL the ice melted, could there be a situation like in the well-known film WATERWORLD where there is almost no dry land remaining?

No. Not really. Admittedly global warming is a terrible threat to civilisation, as would be global cooling. However, even if all the ice in the world was to be melted, there'd only be enough to raise the sea level by 120ft. Admittedly not good news for London and New Orleans, but far from a totally drowned out world where there's no land. Anywhere with any hills at all would still have some land. Even the Netherlands has some elevation of 320ft. Plus, some places such as Greenland, Bolivia, Tibet, and the continent of Antarctica, have elevations of 10,000ft for much of the land.

However, even another metre of two of sea level would result in disastrous necessity being foisted upon humanity in their required rearrangements of the civilised world.

Also, let's not underestimate what other terrible things the climate could do. It doesn't have to be sea level rise that brings about "The End of the World". The doommonger's shop has many diverse lines of stock available to choose from!