Boston’s Island Guardians

The following article is an accompaniment to the Boston Light webcam activity sheet created by the National Parks of Boston Climate Conservation Corps on the Boston Harbor Islands Kids and Families webpage.

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The Human Heating Effect

Planet Earth is getting warmer and it’s because of our own actions. When humans produce electricity by burning a group of materials called fossil fuels including coal, gas, and oil, the process releases a gas called carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This gas acts like a blanket surrounding the planet, trapping heat inside.This process is called global warming.

It is within our power to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we add to our sky, but for now, our heat-trapping blanket is disrupting all sorts of natural systems.

NPS Illustration/E. Paris

Melting Ice and Rising Seas

One thing the warmer temperature is doing is causing our oceans to grow. That’s because much of the ice and snow on our planet is melting, and all that water is flowing downstream and winding up in the ocean.

The average height of the entire world’s oceans has increased by 9 whole inches since 1880, and the rate that they’re growing is getting faster. Currently, the sea level of the Boston Harbor is rising at a speed of 1 inch every 8 years. Scientists call this phenomenon sea level rise. What effect do you imagine a growing ocean has on coastal cities like Boston?

NPS Illustration/E. Paris

Hotter Planet, Fiercer Storms

Another effect of a hotter planet is that storms are getting more intense. Higher temperatures cause more water to evaporate into the atmosphere, where it becomes fuel for the creation of more powerful storms.

Picture a thunderstorm in the middle of the ocean, what do the waves look like? The combined effect of storms like this with sea level rise produces a fierce force that batters shorelines. What do you imagine the coast of an island would look like after it’s been hit with strong waves?

NPS Illustration/E. Paris

Guardians Under Threat

Right off the shore of Boston lie 34 islands and peninsulas that make up the Boston Harbor Islands. These landforms act like a barrier for the city, protecting it from incoming storms. The islands stand in the way of big waves arriving from the open ocean and block the strongest ones. This makes the waves that do reach the shores of Boston smaller and weaker than they would have been otherwise.

However, defending Boston from storms and sea level rise is taking a toll on the Boston Harbor Islands. Water can be such a powerful force that it can wear down rocks over time. This process is called erosion. Many of the islands in the Boston Harbor are eroding; their shorelines are crumbling and wearing away. What effect do you think this has on the wildlife that live on the islands?

Check out the Boston Harbor Light activity sheet to explore what erosion looks like on the islands.

NPS Illustration/E. Paris

Contributed by: Evan Paris, National Parks of Boston Climate Conservation Corps Crew Member

Glossary

Fossil Fuels: A type of energy source formed from ancient plants and animals buried underground for millions of years. When burned, they create energy that humans can use for power, but also release gases like carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Carbon Dioxide: A gas that is naturally present in the air around us. When we breathe out, we exhale carbon dioxide. However, having too much carbon dioxide in the air contributes to global warming because it traps heat like a blanket.

Sea Level Rise: The increase in ocean water level from the melting of large masses of ice around the world.

Erosion: The gradual process of land material being worn away and moved by natural forces like wind or water.

Global Warming: The process of the Earth rapidly heating up due to human activity that releases heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.