{
  "id": 11757970,
  "title": "What to know about the Kelvin wave raising the sea level along the West Coast",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/what-to-know-about-the-kelvin-wave-raising-the-sea-level-along-the",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-03T19:45:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PBS NewsHour Science",
    "slug": "pbs-newshour-science",
    "url": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/what-to-know-about-the-kelvin-wave-raising-the-sea-level-along-the-west-coast"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A Kelvin wave, also known as a coastal trapped wave, is moving up the US West Coast, causing sea levels to rise. According to Phys.org, sea levels in California are expected to rise by as much as a foot in the coming days. This wave is a sustained bulge of excess water, up to 30 kilometers wide, that will hug the coastline as it travels north.\n\nThe Kelvin wave is part of the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean. It is not like a tsunami and does not crash on beaches. Instead, it lifts the sea level as it moves along the coast, similar to water sloshing in a bathtub or swimming pool. Dillon Amaya, an oceanographer at North Carolina State University, warned that the elevated sea levels could combine with other natural phenomena, such as storm surges, large swells, or high tides, to create problems for coastal communities.\n\nThe increased sea levels are expected to elevate the risk of flooding and beach erosion. Amaya noted that even small increases in sea level can have significant effects when combined with other factors. The Kelvin wave is expected to travel as far north as Alaska.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Phys.org",
        "title": "Sea levels to rise in California as a coastal wave surges up the West Coast",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/sea-levels-to-rise-in-california-as-a-coastal-wave-surges-up-the-west",
        "published": "2026-10-03T10:00:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "What to know about the Kelvin wave raising the sea level along the West Coast",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/what-to-know-about-the-kelvin-wave-raising-the-sea-level-along-the-11760528",
        "published": "2026-10-03T19:44:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "What to know about the Kelvin wave raising the sea level along the West Coast",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/what-to-know-about-the-kelvin-wave-raising-the-sea-level-along-the-11758181",
        "published": "2026-10-03T19:45:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}