Comment on 'New perspectives for the future of the Maldives' by Moerner, N.A., et al. [Global Planet. Change 40 (2004), 177-182]

摘要

Moerner et al. (2004) raise a number of important issues concerning sea level change and island morphological adjustment in the Maldives. These issues have great relevance for atoll nations as they shed light on the potential stability of reef islands with respect to future sea level change. Given the high international profile of reef island vulnerability it is important that the data and conclusions of such studies are robustly examined. In their article Moerner et al. (2004) contend that sea level has undergone a recent fall in the Maldives and imply that reef islands there are not likely to be inundated if sea-level were to rise as predicted by the IPCC (Church and Gregory, 2001). Here we raise a number of concerns with arguments and data presented by Moerner et al. (2004) that are central to the interpretations and conclusions presented in their paper. This discussion addresses: (1) the Last Interglacial and Holocene development of the Maldives; (2) the sea-level curve presented; and (3) evidence introduced to substantiate claims of recent sea-level fall.