MIAMI, Fla. — A new study from scientists at Tulane University found sea levels that were "unprecedented" through the 20th Century and are "three times higher than the global average" over the last 12 years. But those rates may even off soon.
The study looked at sea level rise since 2010 along the U.S. Gulf Coast and the Southeastern U.S. in general. During those 12 years, Tulane scientists found a sea-level rise of roughly half an inch per year during the 12 years that were analyzed.
According to Phys.org, the authors investigated multiple different factors that could have influenced the sea level rise. They attributed the rise in sea level to a combination of man-made climate change and normal climate or weather variability.
While the sea level rise has been in record territory around the southeastern U.S. and along the Gulf of Mexico, scientists said the rates may return to the previous rises predicted by large climate models, phys.org reported.
The authors wrote:
"It is therefore likely that the MSL (global mean sea level) rates along the U.S. Southeast and Gulf Coast will return to the average rates projected by climate models within the next decade or so. It also means that there is currently no evidence for a trajectory that follows a high-end projection related to high emission scenarios and high ice-sheet sensitivities. Our results imply that the early detection of acceleration signals, which are needed for near-term planning and decision-making, still represents a major challenge and that comparisons with climate model projections, specifically locally, need to be undertaken with care."
Read the full study:
Tulane University Sea-Level... by ABC Action News
