California coast braces for another battering as new El Niño-related wave emerges in Pacific
California's coast faces increased risks of erosion and flooding due to a combination of El Niño, a coastally trapped Kelvin wave, and long-term sea level rise. Experts warn that these factors could raise sea levels by an additional foot, threatening coastal infrastructure.
Why it matters
Rising sea levels pose an immediate threat to coastal property values and public safety, highlighting the tangible impacts of climate change.
California beach communities are expected to see rising sea levels in the coming weeks as El Niño continues to strengthen, with more sand erosion and damage possible, according to new data. Another El Niño-influenced phenomenon — a "coastally trapped Kelvin wave" — is moving up the coast of Mexico and will soon hit the U.S. West Coast. This isn't a surfable wave, and it wouldn't be overtly noticeable to swimmers or boaters either. But it is expected to increase the sea level off the California coast by another 6 inches or so, and its effects could last months, according to Dillon Amaya, an expert on coastally trapped waves and an assistant professor at North Carolina State University's Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in