Europe 'faces new Noah's flood'
Monday, 19 Nov 2007 08:09
Things look black for those in coastal areas
Rising sea levels in the next 50 years could signal the biggest change in Europe for 8,000 years, scientists have suggested.
Researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Wollongong in Australia made the claim after investigating the "revolution" caused by major flooding eight millennia ago.
They have calculated that the collapse of the North American ice sheet caused global sea levels to rise by 1.4 metres, flooding the Black Sea.
Professor Chris Turney of the University of Exeter suggests this flood could be the origin of the Noah's Ark story and believes it forced many thousands of people practicing early farming techniques west into Europe.
"As these agricultural communities moved west, they would have taken farming with them across Europe. It was a revolutionary time," he said.
Professor Turney believes his study poses serious contemporary issues for the modern world, which is facing potential sea level rises comparable to those experienced 8,000 years ago.
"This research shows how rising sea levels can cause massive social change," he added.
"Eight thousand years on, are we any better placed to deal with rising sea levels? For those people living in coastal communities, the omen isn’t good."