As we head into a new decade of sea-rise-induced chaos, there are a number of worrying indicators of what could be ahead.
Here’s a rundown of what we can expect.
The Great Australian Flood It’s been almost 20 years since the Great Australian Waterfall in the Northern Territory, but there’s been no shortage of new concerns.
Since its flood in 2005, the floodwater has washed out more than 1,000 homes and caused extensive damage.
Now scientists say it could have the same fate.
They say it is too soon to know whether the event is due to global warming or a natural disaster.
Scientists have long predicted the flooding would hit a peak, but in 2018, a new study suggests the flood could become a record-breaker for sea-levels.
The study, published in Nature Climate Change, says that if the water comes from the Northern Rockies, the southern parts of Australia could be among the hardest hit areas.
It says the Great Flood could become the worst flood ever recorded, as high seas rise to a record level.
The paper’s lead author, Simon Lehner, told The Conversation the flood “would certainly be the largest in recorded history”.
“We are going to be in the midst of the most severe flood ever,” he said.
“The area where it would hit the highest would be the Great Barrier Reef.
We are going back to a level that has never been seen.”
The study predicts a surge of 3 metres by the end of this century, while the Southern Ocean could reach an elevation of up to 10 metres.
“We would be talking about an area of sea level rise of more than 20 feet in a relatively short period of time,” Lehner said.
It’s not just the northern part of Australia that will see the most flood damage, according to the research.
The Northern Territory could be in for an even bigger hit than the Great Australia flood.
According to the study, the region is expected to see a flood of 5 metres and could cause $1 billion in damages.
That is the equivalent of the value of $18 billion lost in the Great Northern Flood in 2015, which was caused by a huge landslide on the Biddulph River.
The research was conducted by the University of Queensland and the University for Australia.