Sea Level & Risk of Flooding Rising Rapidly in Mid-Atlantic

During the 20th century, sea levels along the highly populated U.S. Mid-Atlantic coastline between New York and Virginia rose faster than in any other century during the past 4,300 years, according to a new study.  And as those sea levels continue to increase as a result of global warming and local land elevation changes, the risks of coastal flooding will dramatically escalate.

The study, by geoscientists at Rutgers and Tufts Universities and published in the new journal “Earth’s Future,” took a comprehensive look at the history of sea level in the Mid-Atlantic, combining sediment records of prehistoric sea level with modern data, which includes readings from tide gauges and satellite instruments.  The result is one of the most in-depth examinations of past, present, and future sea level rise of any region in the U.S.

Sea Level & Risk of Flooding Rising Rapidly in Mid-Atlantic