# Pics Showing Historic Sea Levels **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pics-showing-historic-sea-levels/841160 "2019-10-02T17:03:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pics-showing-historic-sea-levels/841160/1 "2019-10-02T17:03:37Z")
I’ve seen pictures posted by climate change skeptics that show a historic coastal structure, from about 100 years ago or so, that show little change in sea levels. I would think there would be pictures that show sea levels higher than 100 year ago. Something along a sea wall or cliff or some other natural boundary that hasn’t changed substantially over the last century. But, I can’t find any that are really clear. Why is that and where can I find these pics? Or is that just the wrong way to look at this. And if so, why? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pics-showing-historic-sea-levels/841160/2 "2019-10-02T17:19:55Z")
The mean sea level has risen 5 to 8 inches since 1900. Average tidal ranges around the world are 6 to 10 feet at the coast. I can’t give a definitive answer without knowing specifically what pictures you are referring to, but the most likely reason you see little change is because a 5-8" rise is not apparent in the picture scale, or the photos are comparing different tidal phases. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pics-showing-historic-sea-levels/841160/3 "2019-10-02T17:25:38Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > I’ve seen pictures posted by climate change skeptics that show a historic coastal structure, from about 100 years ago or so, that show little change in sea levels. Can you link to these pics? ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pics-showing-historic-sea-levels/841160/4 "2019-10-02T19:00:08Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Can you link to these pics? I doubt it. I think it would take hours to find. But, it’s a pretty simple question. Where can I find pics that clearly show how sea levels have risen? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pics-showing-historic-sea-levels/841160/5 "2019-10-02T19:10:36Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > I doubt it. I think it would take hours to find. > > But, it’s a pretty simple question. Where can I find pics that clearly show how sea levels have risen? See post #2. Pics won’t do what you’re asking them to do. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pics-showing-historic-sea-levels/841160/6 "2019-10-02T19:11:59Z")
I would start with Pacific Ocean islands such as Nauru. Some have already had to completely evacuate. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pics-showing-historic-sea-levels/841160/7 "2019-10-02T20:01:12Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > I would start with Pacific Ocean islands such as Nauru. Some have already had to completely evacuate. You can find pictures of dramatic changes to islands like these, but it still isn’t really useful. Coastlines of sand islands change because of erosion and sand deposition. This can of course be exacerbated by rising sea level, but by itself a picture isn’t proof of anything, and any climate change deniers will claim it is only storm-related. To see an example, [scroll down to pictures](https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/three-islands-disappeared-past-year-climate-change-blame-ncna1015316) of some uninhabited islands in the Pacific that were completely wiped off the map by a single hurricane in 2018. When changes like that are possible in a week, it masks photographic evidence that changes are happening due to rising sea levels. ---
**Author:** ![Frankenstein\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@Frankenstein\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankenstein_Monster)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pics-showing-historic-sea-levels/841160/8 "2019-10-02T21:42:19Z")
Tangier island in the Chesapeake Bay? For some reason I can’t see the photos in this link but maybe it works for others: [Tangier Island has been losing ground to erosion for hundreds of years. But the combination of rising sea levels and more severe weather — both augmented by climate change — have increased the rate of land loss.](https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tangier-island-disappearing-sea-level-rise-2017-6) ---
**Author:** ![Frankenstein\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@Frankenstein\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankenstein_Monster)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pics-showing-historic-sea-levels/841160/9 "2019-10-02T22:12:22Z")
They say Tangier Island has lost two-thirds of its land since 1850. Here is an [Army Corps of Engineers Tangiers study (PDF)](http://cdm16021.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll5/id/1171) there it has on page number 13 (not the thirteenth page) a picture of shorelines by year, 1850-2013