Sea levels on the West Coast of the United States are rising at a faster rate than the global average – and that trend is likely to continue for at least a few years, with likely effects for people living in the region.
#SeeingTheSeas
go.nasa.gov/3n2Kxy7
#SeeingTheSeas
go.nasa.gov/3n2Kxy7
The height of the sea surface in the western and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean seesaws over time – when one is higher, the other is lower. This is driven on shorter timescales by two natural climate patterns: the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
Every few years, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) pattern produces either an El Niño or a La Niña event. El Niños can increase West Coast sea level; while La Niñas can decrease it.
On a longer timescale, every 5 to 20 years the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) brings warmer or cooler waters to the West Coast. These shifts can impact sea level rise and global climate.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation suppressed the effects of sea level rise on the West Coast, but that’s likely changing. As the PDO changes phase, the region is seeing about a centimeter of sea level rise a year. 
That means that understanding exactly when the seesaw will swing the other way is critical. @NASA's Sea Level Change Science Team is using satellite data, tide gauges, and computer models to understand what drives elevated sea level rates and what the West Coast can expect.
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