El Niño Kelvin Wave to Lift California Sea Levels 1 Foot by Mid-October
Updated
Updated · CNN · Sep 10
El Niño Kelvin Wave to Lift California Sea Levels 1 Foot by Mid-October
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Sep 10
Summary
Mid-October sea levels along California’s coast are forecast to run about 10 to 14 inches above normal as an El Niño-driven coastal Kelvin wave pushes north from waters off Mexico and Central America.
The wave itself can raise ocean heights by 6 to 12 inches, while El Niño’s unusually warm water also expands and adds to the background rise already underway along the West Coast.
Scientists say that extra water height sharply increases coastal flood risk because astronomical high tides and El Niño-influenced winter storms will build on top of it; every 2 to 4 inches can double flood risk in some communities.
The surge would temporarily match roughly a century of sea-level rise along parts of California, offering one of the earliest clear signs that a potentially record-strong El Niño is already affecting the United States.
Could this rapidly intensifying El Niño trigger an ecological collapse hidden just beneath the surface of California's rising tides?
As an unstoppable underwater heat wave races toward the West Coast, are local seawalls strong enough to hold back the guaranteed flooding?
With sea levels threatening historical highs, which iconic California coastal towns might soon find themselves permanently altered by this winter's surge?