As if rising sea levels and increasingly powerful storms were not enough, add the wobbly orbit of the moon to flood risk factors.
Scientists say fluctuations in the moon’s orbit will lead to a spate of fair weather flooding beginning in the mid-2030s. A recent study examined regular fluctuations in the moon’s orbit around the Earth occurring on an 18.6 year cycle.
As the cycle progresses, the angle between the moon’s orbit and the Earth’s equator grows and shrinks. During half of the cycle, the moon’s pull amplifies the earth’s tides, leading to higher high tides and lower low tides.
Researchers say that this moon wobble effect will increase the number of flooding events significantly. They predict that Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, and the Gulf of Mexico will see clusters of sunny-day floods in the mid-2030s, mid-2050s, and early 2070s. The northern Atlantic coast is expected to experience a spike in flooding in the mid-2040s and in the early 2060s.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Feds publish framework for evaluating public-private partnerships
No single factor determines whether a project yields stronger benefit as a P3.
AEC Tech | Jun 17, 2016
Driverless cars could soon start impacting commercial, retail project design
Offsite parking and more space for valet parking lines are among the foreseeable changes.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Bay State moves toward single BIM protocol on state projects
Massport’s guidelines a step forward for integrated BIM initiative.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 14, 2016
San Francisco voters approve tougher affordability requirement on new housing development
Critics charge that the measure may backfire and actually reduce new affordable units.
Concrete | Jun 13, 2016
American Concrete Institute releases new Guide to Shotcrete
Includes information on application procedures, testing.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 10, 2016
Top 10 health technology hazards include some influenced by space design
ECRI Institute’s annual list includes operational and workflow issues.
Codes and Standards | Jun 9, 2016
Supreme Court ruling could aid developers on properties containing wetlands
Unanimous decision allows landowners to take regulatory decisions straight to court.
Green | Jun 8, 2016
TD Bank Group's renovated Toronto office is first WELL-Certified project under WELL v1
The newly renovated 25,000-sf space achieved gold-level status.
Concrete | Jun 7, 2016
Concrete Institute publishes document providing concrete curing guidance
New curing monitoring techniques included.
Energy | Jun 7, 2016
Energy modeling payback typically as short as one to two months
Energy modeling is a ‘no-brainer—like checking MPG on a car’
