The ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria is increasingly succumbing to the increase in sea level and the penetration of salt water. As a result, researchers are afraid of decisive historical information that can be lost and the impact can be distant.
What happens?
A team at the University of Southern California looked at the changes in the coastline in Alexandria using a tripartite approach, according to a news message published by Eurekalert.
Using satellite images and historical maps of 1887, 1959 and 2001, researchers create a detailed digital map of the densely populated urban area of Alexandria. They also took samples to analyze whether the soil contained low levels of isotopes, which would mean erosion.
The Alexandrian scientist in soil radiation Ibrahim H. Saleh, one of the co -authors of the study, said that “the buildings collapse from the bottom up as penetration into seawater erodes the foundations and weakens the soil.”
“For centuries, the structures of Alexandria have stood as wonders of sustainable engineering, durable earthquakes, storm brackets, tsunami and others,” added the first author Sarah Fuad, a landscape architect at the Technical University of Munich. “But now the rising seas and the boosting of storms … have been canceled for decades what it takes for millennia of human ingenuity.”
Why is this important?
Alexandria is among the increasing number of coastal cities in danger. For example, in Papua New Guinea, the increasing Morcie has displaced tens of thousands of people. As the researchers pointed out at Eurekalert, the rising seas influence the cities in California, where penetration into salt water has deteriorated water supplies, contributes to higher costs of life and weakened infrastructure.
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“Our survey shows that coastal buildings are at risk of collapse even without direct attack on seawater, as it is believed to be widely believed,” said the respective author Esam Hegie, a water scientist at the USC Viterbi School.
Located on the Mediterranean, Alexandria was also the center of learning, science and cultural exchange. If things continue in the same trajectory, the knowledge it possesses can be reduced or lost due to the effects of raising global temperatures, increasing with unnatural speeds of human activities, more special burning dirty fuels.
“Historic cities such as Alexandria, which represent the cradle of cultural exchange, innovation and history, are crucial to protecting our shared human heritage,” the news said. “As climate change accelerates the increase in sea level and coastal erosion, their protection is not just about saving buildings; it is about keeping who we are.”
What can be done about this?
The USC team is advocating for nature -based solutions to soften the situation in Alexandria for the publication. Potential actions include the construction of sand dunes and cultivation of plant barriers – techniques have already been proven to enhance climate resistance in coastal communities.
In addition, as explained by study co -author Stefen Nidzhuis, an urbanist based on a landscape at the Dutch University of Delft, this approach is profitable.
In the long run, bringing the planet’s temperatures into balance can help slow down the melting of ice sheets – a key factor contributing to the increase in sea level and the subsequent penetration of salt water.
As countries around the world increase their mixture from opaque, renewable energy, you can support these efforts by upgrading to energy -efficient appliances and excluding electronic devices when not in use.
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