Sea levels off most of California are expected to rise by about three feet over the next century, according to projections released Friday by the National Research Council.
The study is arguably the most comprehensive report of its kind for the West Coast, and its conclusions fall into the range offered by other estimates in recent years. They reinforce predictions that coastal areas will face increased damage from storms and big waves — what the research council called one of the most visible effects of large-scale climatic changes.
“Following a few thousand years of relative stability, global sea level has been rising since the late 19th or early 20th century, when global temperatures began to increase,” said the peer-reviewed report, co-authored by Daniel Cayan, a research meteorologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
“Sea-level rise will send reverberations throughout local and state economies.”
Keep reading – Report: sea level rise will be about three feet
