SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) – San Francisco is sinking faster than previously thought.
NASA data show that relative sea levels could be double what scientists predicted for 2050.
Relative sea levels are calculated from both sea level rise and vertical land motion, or sinking land. Vertical land motion was previously calculated indirectly using data from tide gauges.
The research used satellite imagery from 2015 to 2023 and determined that the old calculations were too low.
Higher relative sea levels amplify flooding and other impacts, meaning extreme weather would raise the city’s risk.
The research shows that sea level rise is similarly underestimated for Los Angeles.
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