Sea levels off the US coast will rise by 30 centimetres by 2050

Photo by: FrankRamspott / iStock

Satellite observations by the US space agency (NASA) over 28 years have led scientists to disappointing conclusions. Sea levels along US coastlines could rise as much as 30 cm higher by 2050. The NASA team notes that the risks are highest along the southeastern US coastline and the Gulf of Mexico.

Global sea levels are rising steadily due to climate change, and with this study, scientists wanted to predict further impacts. Researchers studied possible trends from satellite images from 1993 to 2020 along with tide gauge data.

However, there are uncertainties in these predictions due to a number of factors, such as possible storms, climate variability and the natural sinking or shifting of the land surface along different parts of the coast.

“The key finding is that sea level rise along the US coast has been accelerating over the past three decades,” said Ben Hamlington, head of NASA’s Sea Level Change team and co-author of the new study.

He explained: although the study’s predictions may not come true, the government and the public need to be prepared for such risks. Scientists hope the new data will help prepare for any type of possible flooding, whether catastrophic or minor.

While the US may face rising sea levels on its coastlines, the island nation of Tuvalu is at risk of going under water entirely, as the country’s Foreign Minister Simon Coffee said recently. Fearing for the loss of culture and history, the government plans to create a digital replica of Tuvalu and preserve the state’s sovereignty even if it is completely submerged.

Cover photo: FrankRamspott / iStock