A new map reveals where in the state of California the land is gradually sinking, exacerbating future risks related to rising global sea levels.
The work—undertaken by remote sensing specialist Marin Govorcin of NASA ‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California—reveals how vertical land motions can be unpredictable in both scale and speed.
These changes, driven by natural forces like tectonic activity as well as human influences like groundwater pumping, need to be considered alongside calculations of sea level rise driven by melting ice sheets and glaciers and warming (and thus expanding) ocean water. By the year 2050, sea levels in California are expected to increase by between 6 and 14.5 inches over the levels in 2000…