Climate experts warn a potentially record-strength El Niño could drive unusually high sea levels and increase coastal flooding risks along California this winter.
WEB DESK: California climate scientists are warning that a strengthening El Niño could bring exceptionally high sea levels and increase the risk of coastal flooding along the state’s coastline this winter.
According to the supplied report, the developing El Niño could become the strongest such event in around seven decades, raising concerns about its potential impact on coastal communities and weather patterns worldwide.
Three factors could push sea levels higher
Scientists have identified three factors that could combine to raise sea levels along California’s coast: an unusually strong El Niño, ongoing climate change and peak high tides.
Mark Merrifield, a climate expert and director at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, said California could experience the highest sea levels ever recorded along its coast in connection with the event.
The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center has also forecast that El Niño could reach record levels during the fall.
Sea levels already rising
Scientists say elevated water levels are already being observed in parts of the eastern Pacific.
Daniel Swain, a climate expert affiliated with the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources group, said water levels from Central America along the western coast of Mexico and into the Gulf of California were approaching or exceeding one foot above average in some areas.
Swain also reported that sea levels off California had already risen by about half a foot.
Why El Niño can raise coastal risks
El Niño is characterized by unusually warm waters across the tropical Pacific. As ocean temperatures rise, seawater expands, contributing to higher sea levels.
Scientists say ocean currents and other forces can direct the elevated waters toward California, potentially worsening coastal impacts. A marine heatwave along the region has also contributed to already elevated ocean temperatures.
If the El Niño develops into the unusually powerful event currently being forecast, California coastal communities could face increased exposure to high tides, coastal flooding and other weather-related hazards during the winter months.
