India, Feb. 13 -- Land along California's coastline is inching down and up due to natural and human-caused factors, a NASA-led study has found.
Using California as a case study, a NASA-led team has shown how seemingly modest vertical land motion could significantly impact local sea levels in coming decades.
The elevation changes may seem small - amounting to fractions of inches per year - but they can increase or decrease local flood risk, wave exposure, and saltwater intrusion.
By 2050, sea levels in California are expected to increase between 6 and 14.5 inches higher than 2000 levels. Melting glaciers and ice sheets, as well as warming ocean water, are primarily driving the rise. As coastal communities develop adaptation strategies, th...