According to a NASA study, low-lying coastal cities in the U.S. could flood more frequently in the future.
Sea levels along the coastlines of the contiguous U.S. could rise as much as 30 centimeters by the year 2050, according to a study. According to the study, the Gulf Coast and Southeast will likely experience increased storm and tidal flooding in the near future.
In February, a multi-agency Sea Level Rise Technical Report was published. 10 to 14 inches (25 to 35 cm) of sea level rise is predicted for the East Coast, while 14 to 18 inches (35 to 45 cm) is predicted for the Gulf Coast.
The sea level rise predicted by NASA and government task force is related.
NASA's study built on methods used in the earlier multi-agency report, and was headed by a team of researchers and scientists based at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, which is dedicated to both exploring the deepest depths of space, and also using satellites to "advance understanding" of Earth
The tide gauge records dating back over 100 years were correlated with the satellite altimeter data. NASA can say with certainty that its satellite readings are not anomalies.
Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan who was not involved with the research, said that the projections have by no means come out of the blue.
NASA's findings are unsurprising. He told Live Science that they know why the sea level is rising. The oceans are expanding as they warm due to the melting of polar ice. Climate change will make the sea level rise worse if we don't change.
David Holland is a professor of mathematics at New York University who was not involved with the study. Holland told Live Science that the quality of the satellite data was excellent. The global ocean is rising, and more than that, the rise is getting faster. The projected rise for the Gulf coast is huge. This could make storm surge worse than it is currently.
Sea levels along the U.S. coastline may rise due to other factors. The study indicated that the issues associated with rising sea levels could beamplified by natural variabilities on Earth.
Predicting sea level rise can be difficult because of the effects of El Nio and La Nia, which can lead to increased precipitation in South America. According to Ben Hamlington, leader of the NASA Sea Level Change Team, all forecasts will inevitably be refined as satellites gather data over time.
Despite the study's bleak findings, some experts are hopeful that high-profile research like this will force decision-makers to focus on addressing the ongoing climate crisis and encourage the public to demand effective measures be introduced.
It is not possible to ignore. The director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in the UK, who was not involved with the study, thinks that increased flooding is catalyzing action. Sea level rise will continue for centuries due to the warming we have already experienced, but we have the means to deal with it.
Climate change will affect our planet's oceans and seas eventually.
"This could involve retreat in some places, raising land in other places, and defending other places," he said. There is no single solution that will work in all places. The future is manageable if we follow this route. The future will be a mess if society ignores these issues.
It was originally published on Live Science
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