The upcoming natural changes in the moon’s orbit — called lunar oscillations — along with rising sea levels due to climate change could lead to record flooding on Earth in the years to come, according to a recent NASA study that found the University of Hawaii.
Record flooding is expected to begin in the 1930s and the last 10 years, according to the study, which focused on the effects of the phenomenon in the United States.
There were 600 tidal floods in the United States in 2019, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That number is expected to increase several times in the 2030s, according to research published in the journal Nature Climate. Floods are expected in clusters that can last for a month or more.
While high-tidal floods involve less water and are often considered less dangerous than floods caused by storm surges, “it will be the cumulative effect over time that will have an effect,” said Phil Thompson, assistant professor at the University of Hawaii who led the study. said in a statement.
“If it floods 10 or 15 times a month, the company will not be able to continue operating with the parking lot submerged. People lose their jobs because they can’t work.” “Leaking pools of water have become a public health problem.”
The so-called “wobble” of the moon is not a new phenomenon. It was first reported in 1728 and is part of an 18.6 year natural cycle. During the first half of the cycle, Earth’s regular tides are suppressed. During the second half, the tide was magnified, according to NASA.
The moon is currently in a half-cycle magnification, which has caused increased flooding on many coasts, as a result of rising sea levels due to climate change, according to NASA.
Researchers have found that a decade of sea level rise will have disastrous consequences when the Moon is once again in a half-cycle of inflation, increasing flooding on all coasts of the mainland US, Hawaii and Guam, leaving only the northern coast as far as Alaska. .
The researchers studied 89 tide gauge sites in coastal areas across US states and territories, astronomical cycles and possible phenomena affecting tides to make forecasts, covering up to 2080.
In a statement, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the research was important to enable coastal areas to prepare for future flooding.
“The combination of lunar gravity, rising sea levels, and climate change will continue to exacerbate coastal flooding on our coasts and around the world,” he said.
“NASA’s Sea Surface Change Team provides critical information so we can plan, protect, and prevent damage to the environment and livelihoods of flood-affected communities.”
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