WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In the next 30 years, Pacific Island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Fiji will experience at least 8 inches (15 centimeters) of sea level rise, leading to frequent flooding, says an analysis by NASA's sea level change science team.
NASA said the sea level change team undertook the analysis of this region at the request of several Pacific Island nations, and in close coordination with the U.S. Department of State.
In addition to the overall analysis, the agency's sea level team produced high-resolution maps showing which areas of different Pacific Island nations will be vulnerable to high-tide flooding - otherwise known as nuisance flooding or sunny day flooding - by the 2050s.
'Sea level will continue to rise for centuries, causing more frequent flooding,' said Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, who directs ocean physics programs for NASA's Earth Science Division. 'NASA's new flood tool tells you what the potential increase in flooding frequency and severity look like in the next decades for the coastal communities of the Pacific Island nations.'
'We're always focused on the differences in sea level rise from one region to another, but in the Pacific, the numbers are surprisingly consistent,' said Ben Hamlington, a sea level researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the agency's sea level change science team lead.
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