Join us for the in-person September Earth Observation Network meeting where Professor Benjamin P. Horton from The Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, will be presenting on ‘Sea-Level Science: Above the Water’. The event takes place in the Grantham Boardroom, the presentation and Q&A will run from 4-5pm and will be followed by drinks and nibbles from 5-6pm. The event is open to Imperial staff and students – please e-mail Neil Jennings if you would like to attend and state whether you plan to join in-person or online (via Teams).

This event is being run in partnership with the Singapore Green Finance Centre, Sustainable Tech Lab at Imperial-X and Imperial College Business School’s Centre for Climate Finance and Investment.

Abstract

Here’s a depressing fact: sea-level rise through to 2050 is fixed. No matter how quickly nations lower emissions now, the world is looking at about 15 to 30 centimetres of sea level rise through the middle of the century, given the long-drawn impact of global warming on the oceans and ice sheets. Even under a stable climate, sea-level rise is expected to continue slowly for centuries. Beyond 2050, sea-level rise becomes increasingly susceptible to the world’s emission choices. If countries choose to continue their current paths, greenhouse gas emissions will likely result in 3–4°C of warming by 2100, and a sea-level rise of up to 0.8 metres. Under the most extreme emissions scenario, rapid ice sheet loss from Greenland and Antarctica could lead to a sea-level rise approaching 2 metres by the end of this century and over 5 metres by 2150.

Using case studies from Singapore and Southeast Asia, we illustrate the ways in which current methodologies and historical data sources can constrain future projections, and how accurate projections can motivate the development of new sea-level research questions to adapt and mitigate to climate change.

Biography

Professor Benjamin Horton is the Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. His research concerns sea-level change. He aims to understand the mechanisms that have determined sea-level changes in the past, which will shape changes in the future. Professor Horton has won research awards from European Geosciences Union, American Geophysical Union and Geological Society of America. Professor Horton was an editor for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report. Professor Horton has published over 230 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Science, Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Directions

Please see the map here to find the Grantham Institute Boardroom.