Project title: Sea Levels in Santander

Team: Castroverde A

C. Tetuán, 47   Santander   Spain   3 Student’s age: 14-15 years old

Is the sea level rising in Santander Bay?
¿Está subiendo el nivel del mar en la bahía de Santander?

As we all know, we currently have a serious environmental problem: climate change. This is a consequence of global warming due to the increasing greenhouse effect. As a result, the ice is melting and the sea level is rising. But what does this have to do with our city and is our bay affected?

Based on the fact that we live in Santander, a coastal city located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, we want to check with this study whether our city is being affected, and whether the sea level in our bay is rising.
Our hypothesis is that the sea level in Santander Bay is indeed rising. To check this, we will use the height of the high tide as the variable to be analysed.

For this study we have used the quantitative data of the maximum high tide height in Santander Bay provided by the Spanish Oceanographic Institute, specifically those collected by the tide gauge Santander 2 (Lat 43° 28′ N Lon : 03° 48′ W), to examine the evolution of the high tide height along the Santander coast over a time series.

Data consultation dates: 5 – 25 April 2023.
Data extraction web page: Puertos del Estado.
Data time series: 1992-2021
Once the data was collected and the graphs were made, we analysed the graph of the annual averages, showing that since 2010 the high tide altitude has increased with respect to the reference value, while in the previous years (from 2000 to 2010) the high tide altitude is lower with respect to the reference value for the first four years.

Furthermore, when we look at the monthly graphs, we realise that in months such as May, July, September, October or December, there is a variation with respect to the average reference value that does not allow us to see a clear trend of an increase in high tide, as the variation is similar throughout the time series.

However, in other months, such as January, February, March, April, June, August or November, it can be seen that in the last years of the time series, the high tide increases with respect to the average reference value.

The final conclusion of this study is that our hypothesis is fulfilled. As can be seen in the graph of the evolution of the annual averages, since 2010 these are increasing with respect to the average reference value, as well as in the graphs of the evolution of most months; thus confirming that the sea level in the Bay of Santander is rising.

To make a difference we can take the following actions, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:
Raise public awareness: raising awareness of the problem by sharing this project on different platforms or with the government of Cantabria will help more people to join in, reduce their carbon footprint and take care of the planet.
Efficient transport: using less cars or using electric cars and public transport will reduce CO2.
Plant trees: plants exchange CO2 (greenhouse gas) for oxygen.
End consumerism: by buying only what is necessary, we stop wasting materials that degrade and generate these gases, and we also reduce the production in factories and commercial transport that emit greenhouse gases. Reusing and giving a second life to objects or clothes is a good way to put an end to consumerism and abusive production.
Energy efficiency: be aware of our electricity consumption and where the energy comes from, prioritising renewable and non-polluting energy.

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This project was automatically translated into English.
Projects are created by the teams and they take the full responsibility of the shared data.
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