Communities throughout California are accelerating emergency preparations as a colossal underwater phenomenon known as a “Kelvin wave” closes in on the state’s coastline. This band of warm water is currently nearing southern California and is projected to traverse the San Francisco Bay Area by early October before continuing its slow migration toward Alaska.
Scientists warn that the wave could cause coastal waters to rise by approximately one foot. This temporary but significant surge has the potential to effectively double the 8 to 12 inches of sea level increase already attributed to climate change over the past century, posing an immediate inundation risk to vast stretches of the North American shoreline.
California is always the canary in the coal mine for climate effects. We need more than just emergency prep; we need systemic change.
Double the sea level rise sounds terrifying. How exactly does this wave differ from normal king tides?