U.S. coastlines will face increasing flooding in the mid-2030s thanks to a regular lunar cycle that will magnify rising sea levels caused by climate change, according to research led by NASA scientists.
A key factor identified by the scientists is a regular "wobble" in the moon's orbit — first identified in the 18th century — that takes 18.6 years to complete. The moon's gravitational pull helps drive Earth's tides.
In half of this lunar cycle, Earth's regular daily tides are diminished, with high tides lower than usual and low tides higher than usual. In the cycle's other half, the situation is reversed, with high tides higher and low tides lower.