Houston's Coastline and the Moon are Set to Collide in 2035, NASA Warns

The Moon and the SeaTC

A “dramatic” surge in high tide floods is just over a decade away in the US, according to NASA. The rapid change will start in the mid-2030s when a lunar cycle will amplify rising sea levels caused by the climate crisis. This was the finding from a new study led by the members of the NASA Sea Level Change Science Team from the University of Hawaii.

It's not the first time this will happen. Astronomers have been aware of the cyclic wobble in the moon's orbit for centuries, 1728 to be exact. What makes this particular cycle of concern to low-lying areas like Houston, is that now, for the first time in living memory, the lunar wobble will exert an effect on higher sea levels.

Houston is already considering building the Ike Dike, a massive flood defense network to stave off rising sea levels and dangerous flooding Houston experiences from seasonal storm cycles.

Aerial view of the Bolivar Roads Gate System (left) and the swing gates (right).U.S. Army Corps of EngineersTexas General Land Office

It’s uncertain at this point if the Ike Dike will be able to contain the lengthy high water tides brought about by the new lunar wobble, predicted to occur in 2035 and lasting approximately ten years. Were designers of the flood defense system even aware of the impending wobble? The data from the new NASA study may well spell the end of this decade-long project and that could spell trouble for beachfront property owners.

The NASA study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, is the first to take into account all known oceanic and astronomical causes for floods, the agency said in a news release.

Galveston and areas like the Bolivar peninsula are particularly vulnerable and there are already calls going out for these areas to be abandoned to the raves of the sea and altering climate. Money spent on the $26 billion dollar flood defense system, many suggest, would be better spent elsewhere.

The citizens who occupy these coastal stretches would tend to disagree. A large portion of wealth in Texas is situated along what many consider to be prime beachfront property. The Texas coastal population is projected to climb from 7 to 9 million people by 2050 and if anything, the trend tends to be populating, rather than abandoning this ground.

How bad will it be though, once the tides start? 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported over 600 high tide floods in 2019. The new NASA study projects these floods will sometimes occur in clusters lasting a month or longer in the 2030s, depending on the positions of the moon, Earth, and sun. Some cities may see floods every day or two.

High-tide floods involve less water than storm surges from a hurricane, but the study’s lead author warns that doesn’t mean they are a less significant problem overall. According to Phil Thompson, an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii’s department of oceanography, who commented in a recent news statement;

“It’s the accumulated effect over time that will have an impact. If it floods 10 or 15 times a month, a business can’t keep operating with its parking lot under water. People lose their jobs because they can’t get to work. Seeping cesspools become a public health issue.”

There is of course another very serious issue that will be of grave concern to many residents along Houston's coastline. The cumulative effect of the high tides intercepting with storm fronts. A Hurrican Ike on steroids, feeding of already high water levels and all but drowning Galveston, possibly devastating Bolivar.

The moon runs on an 18.6-year lunar cycle and its currently in what is called an amplification cycle, where it is raising high tides and lowering low tides. The next time this happens (2035) there will be one crucial difference. Melting ice caps are driving up sea levels at an unprecedented rate and water levels will have risen to new all-time highs.

A recent NASA news release on the study stated;

“Global sea-level rise will have been at work for another decade. The higher seas, amplified by the lunar cycle, will cause a leap in flood numbers on almost all U.S. mainland coastlines, Hawaii, and Guam,” 

The writing may be on the wall for many Houston residents enjoying the spectacular sunsets and beautiful vistas from their decks overlooking the sea. For those who fancy a risky investment, properties could soon be available at a steal as residents pack their bags for higher ground.

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