Global Warming Will Buoy East Coast Sea Level

The effect of climate change on Atlantic currents will boost the threat of flooding along the US East Coast more than glacial melting alone, a study predicts. New York, Boston, and Washington, DC, are expected to experience more shoreline encroachment and have higher risk of storm surges as changing currents push more water toward the eastern seaboard than toward Europe, Bloomberg reports.

To understand the circulation of the Atlantic, imagine stirring a bathtub full of hot and cold water: The surface will be higher in some places than in others. Melting glaciers add water that is less dense to the Atlantic's surface, which slows down the overall overturn. A study predicted up to 20 inches of sea level rise in New York. (More sea level stories.)