Image: Hawaii Sea Grant King Tides Project
An 18.6-year lunar cycle has the government concerned. Our natural satellite has entered a disruptive 'wobbling' period in its orbit that will cause major flood surges along coastal regions. This natural process occurs when the moon, the Earth, and the sun line up in ways that influence how strong gravitational tides tug on extended mediums such as large bodies of water, like the ocean. During the critical phase of the 18-year cycle, high tides are amplified in a way that put low-laying areas at risk of catastrophic daily floods.
Although scientists have known about the axial precession of the moon since the early 18th century, the unprecedented level of climate change the planet is currently experiencing is expected to make matters worse. According to a NASA study, global sea level rise caused by global warming coupled with the wobble effect of the Moon’s gravitational pull will make for a truly dreadful combination that places all U.S. mainland coastlines and islands across the planet in peril of being inundated. Is it time to head for the hills? Comment below.