Global Warming-Induced Sea Level Rise Could Threaten New York

by Climate Weekly – March 17, 2009

The sea level on the northeastern U.S. coast could rise nearly twice as fast as global sea levels due to global warming, a researcher at Florida State University (FSU) has concluded. The rise in waters could prove particularly threatening for the city of New York, which could be put at greater risk for hurricanes and winter storm surges as a result.

Jianjun Yin, a climate modeler at FSU's Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies, said there is more than a 90 percent chance that the sea-level rise will exceed the average global sea-level rise by 2100, with waters rising as much as 18 inches due to the thermal expansion and the slowing circulation of North Atlantic waters caused by rising ocean surface temperatures, FSU explained in a recent release.

"The northeast coast of the United States is among the most vulnerable regions to future changes in sea level and ocean circulation, especially when considering its population density and the potential socioeconomic consequences of such changes," Yin said. "The most populous states and cities of the United States and centers of economy, politics, culture and education are located along that coast."