How Will Sea Level Rise Impact The Coast?

Written By Teacher: Elizabeth Ward

My name is Elizabeth Ward. I am a former Early Childhood, Elementary, and English as a Foreign Language educator. I have taught third grade Science and Social Studies as well as Kindergarten in both urban and rural Oklahoma public schools. I taught online EFL to students of all ages in China for four years. I also have experience in curriculum development and content design for teachers in the physical and digital classroom. As a former teacher I have a passion for supporting teachers and making their jobs easier. I currently live in the greater Houston area with my husband and four dogs. 

Teaching about sea level rise helps students connect climate change to real-world impacts. It’s not just about big waves flooding beaches, but also about things like basements and streets flooding more often during high tides. By discussing the science behind sea level rise and its effects, students can better understand the challenges coastal communities face. This topic also helps students think about how we can prepare for the future. For more information, check out these resources on sea level rise, coastal regions, and climate change: Geometry Lesson: Calculating Sea Level Rise and STEM Climate and Our Coast.

Written By: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Climate Change Engagement Program, a part of MIT Climate HQ, provides the public with nonpartisan, easy-to-understand, and scientifically-grounded information on climate change and its solutions.

Sea level along American coastlines could rise by up to one foot by 2050, according to a recent report by a group of U.S. government agencies including NASA, NOAA, and USGS. When thinking about sea level rise, people often imagine waves that lap up onto beaches, boardwalks, houses and streets, causing annoying, damaging or even catastrophic floods.

But in fact, the effects of sea level rise might not look like waves washing in from the sea. Long before that happens, people living near coastlines may experience flooding in their basements and a greater frequency of flooding during high tide.

As sea levels rise, so does the water table, which is how far down you'd have to dig in order to hit water. Charles Harvey, MIT professor of civil and environmental engineering, explains that in many places, the level of the water table is determined by a complex series of factors including local climate and geology. But at the coastlines, Harvey says, the story is much simpler: the water table is directly tied to sea level. 

Brent Minchew, MIT assistant professor of geophysics, explains that the pressure exerted by the ocean itself is proportional to the height of the water table. So as melting glaciers and ice sheets add more water to the world’s oceans and as ocean water expands as it warms, the extra water not only raises sea level but also increases the pressure that the ocean exerts to push groundwater higher.