Publication Details

Projection of Future Physical Oceanographic Properties of Malaysian Water based on Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC’s) Scenarios

Changes in the ocean dynamic such as the characteristics of sea level and their extremes, as well as sea surface temperature (SST) and circulation can have detrimental impact to both the coastal terrestrial and the marine environments. Impacts of sea level rise and changes to the frequency of extreme sea levels associated to changing meteorology may be felt through coastal flooding and erosion. For the adjacent marine environment, increases in ocean temperatures and salinity may alter the distribution and composition of marine ecosystems and affect vegetation and coastal fisheries. Changes in mean sea level are caused primarily by changes in ocean density (‘thermal expansion’) and changes in ocean mass due to the exchange of water with the terrestrial environment, including from glaciers and ice sheets.