Posted on 04/13/2019 9:48:57 AM PDT by janetjanet998
North Texas is under the gun again about mid week.
One thing to consider is that in the last interglacial period, temperatures spiked considerably higher than what we are experiencing now. Those temps were not anything like most of the period 10-100 million years ago, but, definitely warm enough that the oceans would be a lot higher.
One interesting thing I read recently: During the Cretaceous period, or at least parts of it, bubbles in amber fossil indicate that atmospheric O2 levels (not CO2) may have been as high as 35%, compared to about 21% presently. VERY interesting...
I wonder if those atmospheric O2 levels were part of why the dinosaurs were able to grow so large, and some have such very long necks. If the blood could carry more O2, then perhaps it could travel a longer distance and still be useful to the brain.
When sea levels were up, half of Florida was under water. Relatives of a friend of mine who lived in Miami have now sold out and bought property near Orlando which was above water the last time.
I have some 7,000 year old wood dredged from under the Santa Rosa Sound when they put the underground utilities to Navarre Beach.
The associated forest went underwater at the last big Ice Age melt, 7,000 years ago.
looks like the considered opinions about the O2 levels are diametrically opposed.
http://www.google.com/search?q=o2+levels+in+the+cretaceous
Cripes, that’s just where I am!
I almost went into that topic at length (the dino size “mystery” and the O2 levels) in my earlier post: It’s a bit OT here in this thread, but, it is definitely fascinating.
As for FL, golly, I had for many years and may still have the opportunity to take a great job in the Ft. Lauderdale area. I’ve spent quite a bit of time there. But... aside from being packed in (ugh!)with several million people between the sea and the swamp, and family considerations (sticking around for my elderly parents, the environment my daughter is growing up in, etc.), there is one FL risk that seems a bit too much.
However, sea level rise is not it: If the rise continues, it is going to be gradual, relative to a human lifespan, and it is not going to be life threatening except in a quite indirect way. Almost certainly I will not live long enough to see more than a few inches rise. FL’s hurricane risks are very substantial, but overall are no worse than risks around here: Tornados, the New Madrid Fault letting go, major floods every few years, major ice storms like the one in 2009, etc. Heck, hurricanes are not life threatening at all to anyone with a lick of sense and an eye to the weather, but tornados can occur with short warning (compared to hurricanes), and earthquakes can occur with no good warning at all. Still, most people in almost anyplace in the US will survive even a major earthquake.
Crime, well, yeah, that’s a bigger worry in FL.
Still... The FL risk that most bothers me is that of sudden inundation — that of essentially some sort of very large tsunami (but not necessarily a “mega-tsunami”) inundating, as you put it, “half” the state, if not more. Although the risk in a lifetime is admittedly modest, there are multiple potential causes, and the odds of survival unless one can make it to a tall building are not good. There are no hills nearby to flee to, and survival in a boat in such an event is very questionable.
You are right about the tsunami issue. There is a volcano either in the Azores or Canary Islands, I forget which, that has a slope people fear may slide massively into the sea causing such a tsunami. Few people know/remember how many terrible unpredictable disasters have occurred. At least unpredictable in not knowing when they will occur rather than that they will occur at some time. Certainly another New Madrid disaster will happen some time. Also a west coast Cascade tsunami or another of their volcanoes going off. I’m sure the people of Lisbon never expected a 50 foot wall of water, or the people of Martinique a pyroclastic flow that would kill 30,000 or more people. I’ve been in 2 earthquakes that were definitely a surprise and quite disconcerting. However I have reached age 80 and plan to stick around another 10 or 20 years. Disasters be damxxd. Meanwhile my one son’s family is “safely” in Puerto Rico, and my other son will soon be retiring from Special Forces. Nothing like living a risk adverse life! At least we are not bored.
Watching closely from Beloxi.
Drk, thundery in Jefferson Parish now. Tornado warning for Northshore, near Franklinton. Looks to be all Northshore and into Mississipi. We expect rain and wind in N.O. area but they are now downplaying severe stuff.
Light rain and some wind gusts. They early released Keesler AFB personnel.
La Palma:
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/lapalma/index
also of interest:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1524751/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/muttonisland/index
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2830863/posts
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