Surf's Up as Global Warming Sends 13-Foot Waves to Coasts in California

Surf's up for surfers in California when waves due to global warming reach 13 feet in height. What does this mean for coastal communities and people who don't surf, though?

13-Foot Wave Has Surfers Calling "Surf's Up!"

A recent study found that the California coast's waves and surf are growing taller and bigger as a result of global warming.

Since 1970, winter wave heights along the coasts of the Golden State have increased by over a foot. And as the temperature heats, waves off the coast that are at least 13 feet high are becoming more frequent.

Although surfers may view it positively, the heightened waves could exacerbate erosion and flooding along California's vulnerable coastline, which is already at risk due to the rapid rise in sea levels attributed to climate change.

This information is supported by oceanographer Peter Bromirski, affiliated with San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Bromirski is the research lead author.

More wave energy may perhaps reach delicate sea cliffs, cause floods in low-lying areas, or harm coastal infrastructure when sea levels rise even higher during storms.

Implications of Sea Level Rise

The impacts of the intense storms and massive waves are already evident as California experienced extreme weather last winter, resulting in the collapse of bluffs and damage to piers.

Even waves of intermediate height are predicted to impact the coast with a comparable force as the greater waves do today as sea levels rise, according to Weather.com.

The researchers compiled what they refer to as an "unprecedented record" of the waves that have battered California's shore over the past few decades using 90 years' worth of seismic data to measure historical wave heights.

They discovered that since 1970, when global warming is thought to have started accelerating, average winter wave heights have increased by as much as a foot.

Between 1996 and 2016, swells reaching a height of at least 13 feet appeared at least twice as frequently compared to the period from 1949 to 1969.

The Scripps Institute of Oceanography has asserted that this research builds upon prior studies, which suggested that storm activity in the North Pacific Ocean has increased due to the impact of climate change.

Gary Griggs, an oceanographer from UC Santa Cruz who was not part of the study, commented that these recent findings contribute further to the growing body of evidence showcasing the rapid warming of our planet and the rise in sea levels, USA Today reported.

California's Climate-Vulnerable Coast

The NPR claimed that California's coastline is already extremely climate-vulnerable.

According to the California Coastal Commission, sea levels have risen along California's 1,200 miles of coastline by around eught inches during the past century due to warmer ocean temperatures and freshwater inflows from melting ice caps across the world.

In the future decades, greenhouse gas emissions may increase by foot if quick reductions are not made.

According to federal projections, the gorgeous beaches of California could be completely eroded by increasing seas by the turn of the century.

According to a nonpartisan analysis by California's Legislative Analyst's Office, between $8 billion and $10 billion in existing property is projected to be underwater throughout the coming decades, with a total of $6 billion more to $10 billion in property at danger at high tides, the NPR reported.

The study by Bromirski was recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans.