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| Fig. 1 Ship In Port Does Damage |
I. Big And Small 'Port Damage'
Recent political events based upon a misunderstanding or two of the dynamics of a tariff (a.k.a. tax) has caused damage to USA seaport container ship traffic volume in terms international cargo (Impact of tariffs on the Port of Los Angeles are widespread and sweeping, U.S. Tariffs Trigger Decline in Shipping Volumes).
In another case a ship in a port crashed into a bridge which can cause a disruption of cargo ship traffic if it clogs the incoming or outgoing lanes (e.g. Fig. 1 and this).
The tariff type of impact on container ship traffic is not the result of sea level change, but the bridge collision is one type of damage sea level can cause as the distance between the water line and the bridge at high tide changes or the depth to the bottom diminishes in sea level fall cases (Calculating Port Dangers, 2, 3).
But both of these types of impairment to container ship port traffic are in some degree the same in terms of causation:
"Regarding seaports, 'practical interest' means efficient ways to deal with the sea level change dangers to their activities.
As with all neuroses one reaction is 'denial' :
'Denial is a type of defense mechanism that involves ignoring the reality of a situation to avoid anxiety. Defense mechanisms are strategies that people use to cope with distressing feelings. In the case of denial, it can involve not acknowledging reality or denying the consequences of that reality ... Denial was first described by the famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who described it as refusing to acknowledge upsetting facts about external events and internal ones, including memories, thoughts, and feelings.'"
(Denial as a Defense Mechanism, emphasis added). This version of potential reactions comes in at least two varieties: partial denial and complete denial.
(Calculating Port Dangers - 2). The mind-set of denial of sea level change will lead to more and more seaport container ship volume change as time goes on.
II. Believe Our Lying Eyes?
The data from which today's graphs and HTML tables (located in today's appendices) were made, show our eyes that sea level at seaports is changing and has been changing since the industrial revolution began.
Are these decades-long records lying to us, or are our eyes that see the data lying to us, or in fact are we lying to ourselves in a form of denial (if we don't get it)? :
"The common myth that the impact of sea level change is mainly
going to happen to people who live along the coastlines is a diversion
from the fact that "more than 95 percent of U.S. international trade moves through the nation's ports and harbors."
(Seaports With Sea Level Change - 30, cf Ports Primer, emphasis added). The consequences of denial are far greater and longer lasting than the temporary damage illustrated Sections I and II above (see videos below).
III. Today's Appendices
The graphs containing past, present, and future calculations are based on the in situ data from PSMSL tide gauge stations, as well as projections from that data.
Note that some countries have multiple coastlines where sea level change is not the same at each one of those coastline (e.g. US East Coast, US West Coast).
Thus, the alphabetical HTML table appendices detailing multiple PSMSL coastline ids are (multi A-C, multi D-G, multi H-L, multi M-O, multi P-T, multi U-Z), while the alphabetical HTML table appendices detailing single PSMSL coastline ids are (sgl A-C, sgl D-G, sgl H-L, sgl M-O, sgl P-T, sgl U-Z).
The graphs of that HTML data are located in these different appendices (SLC A-D, SLC E-I, SLC K-S, SLC T-Y).
IV. Closing Comments
While we would be justified in saying that the future projections will not be exactly as projected, we wouldn't be justified in rejecting the past and present in situ data trends that plainly show us that sea level is in fact changing.
And while we may perceive small interruptions as trivial, let's remember that these 'small' interruptions are taking place NOT at just one seaport, but at all of them in varying degrees at the same time.
The big interruptions in the future will also be happening all around the globe at the same time.
The previous post in this series is here.
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