Sea Level Rise & Coastal Flooding
Sea level rise is increasingly affecting coastal ecosystems and communities during storm surges and at high tides.
As the Earth warms due to climate change, the oceans that cover 70% of the globe are also warming. As seawater warms, it expands, contributing to rising sea levels and problems with flooding and erosion in coastal areas, especially during extreme high tides and coastal storm surges. In addition, climate change is increasingly causing the melt of land-based ice from mountain glaciers and the polar ice sheets, also contributing to rising sea levels.
For coastal communities, this is one of the most observable and measurable impacts of climate change and a focus of many infrastructure improvements. These characteristics also make it a tangible subject for students to study with many opportunities across STEM disciplines.
Curious to learn more? Check out our full Climate Story. Here you will also find resources to engage youth and learn about the role NASA plays in helping us understand how climate change is impacting sea levels.
Learning Ecosystems investigate sea level rise and coastal flooding
See how sea level rise and coastal flooding have been the focal point of student learning, both in and out of the classroom.
We’re still collecting stories from our learning experiences. Check back here for soon for our first dispatches!