CURRENTS April 2016 Currents April 2016 | страница 4

4 Currents April 2016 > continued from page 3 is projected to be 31 to 61 Inches by 2100. For critical infrastructure projects with design lives in excess of 50 years, use of the upper curve is recommended with planning values of 34 inches in 2060 and 81 inches in 2100. The National Aeronautics And Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2015) has reported the average global sea level has risen almost 3 inches between 1992 and 2015 based on satellite measurements. Sea level rise in South Florida has been of similar magnitude over the same period (NOAA, 2015) but is anticipated to outpace the global average due to ongoing variations in the Florida currents and Gulf Stream. Projected sea level rise, especially by 2060 and beyond, has a significant range of variation as a result of uncertainty in future greenhouse gas emissions and their geophysical effects, the incomplete quantitative understanding of all geophysical processes that might affect the rate of sea level rise in climate models and the limitations of current climate models to predict the future. As such, the work group recommends that the Unified Sea Level Rise Projection include three curves, in descending order, the NOAA high curve, the USACE high curve and a curve corresponding to the median of the IPCC Ar5 Rcp8.5 Scenario, with specific guidance as to how and when they should be used in planning. This guidance document describes the recommended application of the projection as it relates to both high and low risk projects and short and longterm planning efforts. Also, the work group recommends that this guidance be updated every five to seven years because of the ongoing advances continued on page 5 >