“Moon wobble”, climate change expected to cause increased flooding in US coastal communities, study finds

Every coast in the United States will experience a rapid increase in high tide flooding due to “moon swing” and climate change, according to a new study.

But what is “the oscillation of the moon”? This is not a new phenomenon, according to NASA.

This is a cyclical change in the moon’s orbit every 18.6 years and has been recorded since 1728.

The oscillation affects the moon’s gravitational pull and can suppress or amplify ocean tides on earth. That mixed with rising sea levels could create a risk for people who live in coastal communities, according to NASA.

“In the middle of the Moon’s 18.6-year cycle, Earth’s regular daily tides are suppressed: high tides are below normal and low tides are higher than normal. In the other half of the cycle, the tides are amplified: high tides increase and low tides decrease, ”says the study.

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The next cycle that is expected to amplify the tides again will occur in the mid-1930s, according to NASA. Meanwhile, “an increase in the number of floods” is expected along the US coasts, in Hawaii and Guam.

The coasts of the Gulf of Mexico were specifically mentioned as an area of ​​concern as they are more vulnerable to flooding due to the relatively narrow distribution of sea level.

“Low areas near sea level are increasingly threatened and suffering due to increased flooding, and this will only get worse,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “The combination of the Moon’s gravitational pull, rising sea levels and climate change will continue to exacerbate coastal flooding on our coasts and around the world. NASA’s Sea Level Change Team provides crucial information so that we can plan, protect and prevent damage to the environment and to the livelihoods of people affected by flooding.

Compared to hurricane storm surges, flooding at high tide involves only a small amount of water.