Harvey, C. (2023, August 2). California Waves Have Growth a Foot Taller because of Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/california-waves-have-grown-a-foot-taller-because-of-climate-change/
The study, which was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, found that average winter wave height has increased by roughly one foot since 1970. Through his usage of waves’ seismic signals, scientist Peter Bromirski discovered that this uptick in wave size directly correlates with global warming’s rapid acceleration. Storms that produce waves measuring 13 feet high and taller have become more common, with twice as many of these events occurring between 1996 and 2016 as they did between 1949 and 1969.
This study discusses the interconnected processes of sea levels and ocean temperatures, its effects on wave dynamics, and the subsequent implications for coastal communities in California. The increase in wave height could make beaches more vulnerable to erosion and would make it more dangerous for people to surf and swim in the ocean. This study also has economic impact because the increase in wave height could contribute to higher real estate insurance rates and possibly would call for the re-evaluation of the value of many seaside properties. Increase in wave height, combined with other risks from climate change, poses significant threat to coastal communities. While coastal protection measures such as seawalls are possible, those also cost significant money rather than fixing the problem, it simply delays it.
This study reminds me of the movie “The Day After Tomorrow”, the extreme conditions of climate change with intense winters and summers. If humans do not do something to prevent this from happening, we are not going to be able to enjoy nature peacefully. Do you think that the feet could double within the next 15 years due to mass increases in carbon/heat?
Thanks for reading. Yes 100% because if we keep increasing our carbon emissions, detrimental events like El Nino can increase in intensity.
I very much agree with the erosion of beaches and the dangerousness of beach activities as the waves continue to grow. I also agree that sea walls are very expensive and that they don’t fix the problem of the rise in wave height. Are the wave heights expected to continually grow, and if so is the number of growth in inches or feet going to rise?
thanks for reading. Yes the wave heights are expected to continue growing due to the sparks of global warming and climate change as whole.
I agree with all of your points here. With the higher waves, the ocean can be much more dangerous and can be less appealing to people who surf and spend time near the beach. Along with the economic effects, there are geographical effects with the higher waves where we can look at beach towns being all gone in a half a decade. Should we be more worried about the economic effects or the geographical effects?
Thanks for reading. I think certainly the geographical effects. At the end of the day the planet comes first and there is no economy without a planet to live on.