China’s sea level rising, coast sinking   

中国沿海海平面上升明显 或将影响8.7万平方千米

国家海洋局4日公布的《2011年中国海平面公报》显示，近二十年来，中国沿海海平面上升明显，近三年中国海平面处于历史高位。

Beijing (CNS) -- The sea level off China's coast has evidently risen over the last two decades and has maintained an historic high for three years, notes the State Oceanic Administration in a bulletin on China's sea level released Wednesday.

From 1980 to 2011 it says, the seawater levels here have climbed faster than the global average, creeping up by about 85 millimeters (mm), or 2.7 mm per year.

The rise of the southwestern Bohai Sea, southern Yellow Sea and the eastern coastal sea of Hainan Island, all above 100mm, are the most evident; Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Guangdong and Hainan saw highest rises, followed by Liaoning and Tianjin, while the least difference is found off Zhejiang, Fujian, Hebei and Guangxi .

The coastal sea level in 2011 was 69mm higher than normal and specifically 2mm higher than in 2010. In general, waters in the south and north are rising, yet decreasing in the middle latitudes.

The ascent is expected to continue, in 2050 reaching a level 145 to 200mm higher than normal. A domestic land area of 87,000 square kilometers will be affected.

Over exploitation of underground water and tall buildings at coastal soft soil is actually affecting the coastal land mass and further contributing to an apparent rise, the bulletin also pointed out.