New research reveals that winter waves along California’s shoreline have increased in height by 13% since 1970, posing a potential threat to the fragile coastal ecosystem.
In a groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, a University of California oceanographer has unveiled alarming findings about the impact of climate change on California’s coastal region. Peter Bromirski, a researcher emeritus at UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography, probed seismic data spanning nearly a century to uncover a concerning trend in winter wave heights.
According to the study, winter waves in California have grown by an average of 13% or 1 foot since 1970 when compared to the period from 1931 to 1969. The increasing wave heights have been linked to a rise in storm activity in the North Pacific Ocean, a phenomenon consistent with the effects of climate change.
The tweet below verifies the news:
Just another reason to have rivers reach the sea, provide sediment for beaches, create wetlands and mangroves to slow waves, and because deltas are amazing wildlife habitat and carbon sequestration!#CORiver #TellTheDamTruth @sharonudasin @thehill https://t.co/guJH8OZwyt
— Tell The Dam Truth (@TellTheDamTruth) August 1, 2023
Bromirski explained that when waves reach shallow coastal waters, they reflect back to the sea, colliding with incoming waves in the process. This interaction generates a downward pressure signal that is then converted into seismic energy, detectable by seismographs. By analyzing seismic records and filtering out earthquake “noise,” Bromirski successfully calculated wave heights.
The implications of these findings are significant. With sea levels rising due to climate change, storms are expected to intensify, further elevating wave energy during the winter months.
This poses a potential threat to vulnerable sea cliffs, low-lying regions, and coastal infrastructure. In recent decades, there has been a doubling in the number of storm events producing waves taller than 13 feet, compared to the mid-20th century.
To reach these conclusions, Bromirski and his team had to digitize analog records dating back to 1931, a process that took years of effort. However, the results shed light on a crucial aspect of California’s coastal resilience in the face of climate change.
With the unprecedented rain and snow experienced during the past winter, experts warn that the 2022-2023 winter might be a harbinger of heightened wave activity along the Pacific Coast. The consequences of this trend are far-reaching, necessitating a comprehensive consideration of coastal impacts in California as the world grapples with the consequences of climate change.
As California’s coastline faces an uncertain future, policymakers and communities must be vigilant in adopting climate-resilient measures to safeguard the state’s unique and delicate ecosystem from the relentless force of the growing winter waves.
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