Sealevel Rise and Global Warming FAQ

See also POEMS's Advisory Board member Dr. Dick LaRosa's Sealevel Control site and Energy Sector Characteristics and Synergies on the Industry Page.

"I estimate that the clockwise circulation of the North Atlantic Ocean is driven by about 460 Gigawatts (GW) of wind power. Slow, diffuse currents flow south along the Portugese and West African coasts, and westward via the North and South Equatorial Currents. The flow continues via the North Brazil, Guiana, Carribbean and Antilles Currents. The Florida Current and the Gulf Stream are concentrated and intensified by the Coriolis force, which adds about 150 GW of power derived from the Earth's rotational energy storage reservoir.

The total power input to the North Atlantic gyre is therefore about 600 GW. If we were to provide customers with 30 GW of pollution-free electrical power from free stream water turbines, it would be the equivalent of 6000 large (5 Megawatt) off shore wind turbines. We would probably dissipate at least another 30 GW in generator and transmission network inefficiency, combined with the turbulence caused by a deep sea mooring cable network of unprecedented size. This 60 GW reduction of gyre power might have the beneficial effect of reducing the heat transport to the Arctic, which would reduce the rate of ice sheet melting and retard the rise of sea level."- Dr. Dick LaRosa (comments invited)

This is a URL where more currently questions are raised than are answered.
Questions are good....

Q. What is mankind's global climate history?
source A. Cycles of Global Warming and Sealevel Rise have been coincident with the establishment and rise of Mankind
Q. What is global warming and why isn't warming consistent across different atmospheric layers?
Q. What are the layers and temperature characteristics of the Earth's atmosphere?
Q. What is the make-up of Earth's atmosphere and how does it compare to nearby planets?
Average temperature: (-127 F to 136 F/-88 C to 58 C)	Mars- 96% CO2 1% of Earth's atmosphere thickness much lower gravity no magnetosphere Average temperature: (-81 F/-63 C) Venus- 98% CO2 atmosphere denser than Earth's slightly lower gravity no magnetosphere Average temperature: (457 F/855 C)
Q. If global warming is a direct effect of man's contributions to methane and CO2 in the atmosphere- why are the cumulative growth of both compounds on a smooth curve- but the global temperature varies and spikes over the same period of time?
	Fossils from methane-consuming bacteria found in Californian sediments deposited during the last glacial period, 70,000 to 12,000 years ago, suggest that large amounts of methane were repeatedly released from the seafloor during warmer weather. See also Biomass FAQ. The planet has managed methane in the atmosphere successfully during homo sapiens.
Q. How does global warming impact sealevel rise?
	EPA studies indicate global warming could raise sea level 50 to 200 centimeters (2 to 7 feet) in next century. Ignoring future development- a one meter rise could cost the US $270-475 billion
	Billions of dollars in federal funding are expended annually on dredging and beach nourishment (sand addition and placement). Formulating a cohesive national strategy is difficult because coastal states have various legacy beachfront ownerships.

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