2016 IS STRANGE Part 23 // JULY

LAST MESSAGES' latest: Part 23 for the end of July. It starts off with the Ellicitt City, MD flood. The inundation was at the 1,000 year estimated flood level. In a normal world this shouldn't happen for another thousand years. But in the present climate it could happen next month!

What follows (but not immediately) is indicated by the teaser photo -- a stunning display of clouds at sunset in South Florida with "multiple suns" in the clouds.

2016 is strange.

Coral Reefs in Florida Keys decimated by acidification.

According to scientists at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, the acidification that's hitting the Florida coral reefs right now is about 35 year of schedule set by the IPCC and previous scientific modeling.

Here's a look:

Forty years ago Carysfort Reef, off of Key Largo, was a thriving, thickly settled neighborhood of corals.
It was designated a national marine sanctuary.
Now the whole area is blighted.  Source: Science Daily via Robertscribbler.

 

 The UofM scientists did a study of the coral reefs off Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys and found out that due to ocean acidification, the limestone bedrock of these coral reefs were losing limestone mass faster than the corals themselves can build it back up. As a result, South Florida is losing an important source of fish, tourism revenue and even protection from hurricane storm surges.

From the National Geographic via Robertscribbler:

“ 'Lots of scientists think that ocean acidification is not going to be a problem until 2050 or 2060,' says Chris Langdon, a marine biology professor at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. 'This is happening now. We’ve just lost 35 years we thought we had to turn things around.' "

More here, here and here.

6 Feet of SLR on the Northern Gulf Coast means New Orleans will be surrounded by water.

Not as bad as South Florida, though.



High Tide flooding on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Source: blog.cleanenergy.org.



Hallandale Beach where 7 out of 8 wells are contaminated with seawater.
Source: climatecentral.org.

With just 6 feet of SLR, much or all of THAT place, will be utterly destroyed or made unlivable even if no hurricane or tropical storm hits it. Because of the porous limestone bedrock that's right at the surface, the rising seas will invade the Biscayne Aquifer, depriving the area of its drinking water. Already SEVEN out of EIGHT wells in Hallandale Beach have been invaded by salt water. (Click  here.)



Sea-Level Rise and coastal flooding impacts at 6 feet of SLR in South Florida.
The Everglades and Broward are gone. Miami-Dade is unlivable. Source: NOAA via blog.ucsusa.org..

And with a 10-foot SLR Miami Beach is inundated. Miami-Dade is utterly destroyed.
I guess the elevated Metrorail will become a scenic electric railway, accessible by boat!
Source: ClimateCentral.org.

For proof, click here and here.