California just released a major new report on sea level rise. Here’s how bad it could get
A new scientific model provides more certainty about how much ocean levels could rise in California in the next 30 years and predicts slightly less rising in some scenarios than previously thought. But the predictions still show grave threats to California, where 70% of the population lives near the coast. Statewide, sea levels are due to rise by an average of 0.8 feet (9.6 inches) by 2050 compared to a baseline of 2000, according to the draft report. … The new report also went into detail about how groundwater levels will rise along with sea levels, which can spread contaminants in the soil and threaten underground infrastructure. It could also make levees that are being planned to hold back flooding ineffective, said Kristina Hill, an associate professor at UC Berkeley and director at its Institute of Urban and Regional Development.