Feb 18, 2022
Coastal US sea levels will rise an average of a foot or more in the next 30 years, a new federal report warns. That's the fastest pace in 3,000 years.
The report predicts:
The 131.6 million people in the US who live within 60 miles of the ocean will face the worst effects from rising seas. That's according to the report published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But sea level rise will vary widely: 14-18 inches along the Gulf Coast, 10-14 inches on the East Coast, 6-8 inches on the Southwest coast, and 4-6 inches on the Northwest coast.
The report blames human-caused climate change. That's mostly due to emissions caused by burning fossil fuels. Unfortunately, the report calls the predicted sea level rise inevitable. That means drastically lowering emissions won't stop it by 2050.
But, the report says, curbing emissions would greatly reduce sea level rise from 2050 to 2100. Without that, sea levels could increase another 5 feet by century’s end. That would bring disastrous results.
"Sink or Swim"
This mural about sea level rise by Tatiana Suarez in Miami, Florida shows a woman clinging to a palm tree surrounded by the rising sea.
NASA's Earth Minute: Sea Level Rise
This short video clearly explains how global warming is causing sea levels to increase in two ways.
How Do We Know Climate Change Is Real?
This resource describes the evidence of climate change, presents a graph of carbon dioxide levels over the last 800,000 years, and provides many links to additional resources that support the information provided.