Sea levels along American coastlines could rise by 25-30 cm. on average by 2050, a new US government report released this week showed.
The report, written by an interagency task force consisting of NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other federal agencies, predicted sea levels up until the year 2150.
The report projected that the rise in sea level over the next 30 years will see coastal flooding increase significantly.
The intensity and frequency of coastal floodings will soar in the near future due to higher sea levels, the task force projects.
The task force was able to come up with near-term projections of sea-level rise due to an improved understanding developed over the last few years of the processes that contribute to rising seas.
Ocean height is affected by many complex interactions between ocean, land and ice, as well as melting glaciers and ice sheets.
The report also warned that there is a likelihood that the rise could exceed the task force's projections if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, causing global temperatures to rise.
Published as an update to a 2017 release, the report, titled Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States, "confirmed what we have long known," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
"Sea levels are rising at an alarming rate, endangering communities...urgent action is required to mitigate a climate crisis that is well underway," he said.
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