14 DAY TRIAL // According to the conclusions of a new study by researchers at the University of Siegen, in Germany, and the University of South Florida in St Petersburg, it would appear that sea level fluctuations along the southern coasts of the United States, from Florida Key to southern Alabama, have been intensifying progressively for more than 20 years.
Alongside every coastline, there is an annual sea level variation, calculated as the difference between summer peaks and winter troughs. The same phenomenon exists in the Gulf of Mexico, but with a critical difference – the differences between the peaks and troughs have been increasing for 20 years.
This shift in water height patterns could have potentially devastating consequences on the already-embattled southern coast lines of the United States. The delicate ecosystems present at these locations could be heavily disrupted by increasing storm and surge tides, while flooding risks may increase several times over, e! Science News reports
In a paper published in last week's issue of the esteemed journal Geophysical Research Letters, the team reports that global sea levels have already increased by about 5 centimeters, or 2 inches, between 1993 and 2011. On top of that, in Gulf, summer peaks have added yet another, 5-centimeter increase.