Title: Causes of Sea Level Rise: What the Science Tells Us | Union of Concerned Scientists
Headings: Causes of Sea Level Rise
Causes of Sea Level Rise
What the Science Tells Us
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Content: Amplified storm surges. Coastal storms often cause storm surges, which occur when high winds push water inland. With rising seas, storm surges occur on top of an elevated water level and reach farther inland, with potentially catastrophic damage to homes and infrastructure. Permanent inundation. Many low-lying coastal land areas are expected to be gradually submerged by rising sea levels. A rise of two feet above today's sea level would put more than $1 trillion of property and structures in the US at risk of inundation, with roughly half of that value concentrated in in Florida. Saltwater intrusion. Saltwater can reach further into coastal groundwater sources as sea level rises, increasing the salinity of freshwater used for drinking and agriculture. Communities must weigh the costs and risks of accommodating the rising seas, retreating from them, or trying to defend coastal properties and infrastructure with protective measures
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Fact sheet