RALEIGH (AP) -- Scientists say rising oceans caused by climate change could threaten North Carolina's low-lying coastline, especially the Outer Banks.
Stephen Culver is a geologist at East Carolina University who spoke on climate change during an event in Raleigh.
He says those Outer Banks islands could break into smaller parts if a hurricane with the power of Katrina hit the coast.
Waleed Abdalati leads NASA's science branch that studies ice-covered regions. He says retreating ice sheets in portions of Greenland and Antarctica are warning signs for rising oceans that could threaten coastal areas that are close to sea level.
One international panel projected that sea levels could rise up to 2 feet over the next century.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
