NASA: “Moon Wobble” will cause severe flooding to US in mid-2030s

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – NASA has warned in a new study that a “moon wobble” which occurs normally every 18.6 years will contribute to an increase in severe flooding to most US mainland coastlines in the mid-2030s, Sky News reports. The warning was given by NASA’s Sea Level Change Science Team in a study published by Nature Climate Change.

The periodic “wobble” in the moon’s orbit normally produces extreme high and low tides, which this time will impact rising sea levels, NASA explained in the study. Extremely high tides occurring on abnormally high seas will likely cause a surge in the numbers of severe floods to almost all US mainland coastlines, plus Hawaii and Guam. Alaska and other northern regions will not be affected for another decade as their land areas are rising, the study said.

High tide floods occur when the tide rises into populated areas, Sky News reports. Heavy flooding can block drains, close roads, and damage infrastructure. In a statement, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said: “Low-lying areas near sea level are increasingly at risk and suffering due to the increased flooding, and it will only get worse.

“The combination of the moon’s gravitational pull, rising sea levels, and climate change will continue to exacerbate coastal flooding on our coastlines and across the world,” Nelson said.
Ben Hamlington, head of the NASA Sea Level Change Team, said in a statement that the new study is vital for coastal urban planners to use in preparing for extreme weather events over chronic flooding, Sky News reports. “From a planning perspective, it’s important to know when we’ll see an increase”, Hamlington said.

“Understanding that all your events are clustered in a particular month, or you might have more severe flooding in the second half of a year than the first – that’s useful information,” Hamlington added.

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