Beaches Could Be 6 Feet Underwater By Century's End, Says NASA
Turns out there's going to be a little more ocean in the future.
Karina Allrich / Flickr
For surfers, fishermen (and women) and boaters, that might be a good thing.
It might not be so good for beachfront property owners, piers, low-lying areas and Malibu-dweller David Geffen, however:
NASA today issued a report that predicts sea level will rise by as much as 6-and-a-half feet by the end of this century.
Doesn't sound like much, given that high tide can be 6 feet, but think about some of your favorite strips of beach, including dense portions of Malibu, with six feet more water or six feet less sand.
Scientists at NASA say there's a 90 percent chance that sea level will rise at least 8 inches by the end of the century, with 6.6 feet being the upper end of the estimate.
NASA:
NASA
More than 8 million people live in areas at risk of coastal flooding. Along the U.S. Atlantic Coast alone, almost 60 percent of the land that is within a meter of sea level is planned for further development ...
Keep in mind that 6.6 feet is two meters, meaning that many homes standing today will become a part of the sea.
Global warming? Yep.
NASA bases its lowest prediction on natural, historic sea level change. The bigger sea-level predictions are based on "projected ocean warming and recent ice sheet loss."
The administration calls on local "experts and coastal managers" to size up local conditions and take this seriously. Or, you could buy a boat.
Seriously.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
