A slow-moving ocean wave linked to this year's strong El Niño has raised sea levels along the US West Coast, and scientists expect more to follow, NPR reports. A Kelvin wave is a vast pulse of warm water that travels east beneath the surface of the equatorial Pacific before splitting at South America and moving up and down the coast.
It is not a wave that breaks on beaches, but researchers say it increases the risk of coastal flooding and erosion by lifting background sea levels. Dillon Amaya of North Carolina State University said levels in Southern California were roughly six to eight inches above normal when Tropical Storm Rachel's surge flooded neighbourhoods in early October. The warmer water is also affecting marine life, with a whale shark seen off San Diego.
Source: NPR