In China, some coastal cities were also in a precarious position.
Average elevations: Jinmen, 3.3 meters; Yong City, 4.2 meters; Shanghai, 4.5 meters...
At Quanzhou Luojia Temple, the rising tide used to make it look like a magnificent Buddha Country floating on the sea. At low tide, it would stand starkly upon the rocks. But now, seawater had already surged into the temple, and the monks had evacuated long ago. If the sea level continued to rise, this ancient monastery might no longer be a celebrated landmark.
The news on television and online was filled with discussions about the rising sea levels.
Weather satellites showed that for some unknown reason, the temperature of the Antarctic Ice Sheet was extremely high, and the ice was melting at a rate visible to the naked eye.
One expert explained, "The glaciers at the North and South Poles store 70% of the world's fresh water. If they were to all melt, the sea level would rise by 66 meters."
