Coral islands bigger despite ocean's rise
The IndependentSign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Some South Pacific coral atolls have held their own or even grown in size over the past 60 years despite rising sea levels says new research. But two researchers who measured 27 islands where local sea levels have risen 4.8in – an average of 0.08in per year – over the past 60 years, found just four had diminished in size. This is because coral islands respond to changes in weather patterns and climate, with coral debris eroded from encircling reefs pushed up on to the islands' coasts by wind and waves. Professor Paul Kench of Auckland University's environment school, and Arthur Webb of the Fiji-based South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, used historical aerial photographs and satellite images to study changes in the islands' land area.
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