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The impending moon wobble and expected effects

The title may sound weird, but I wonder how many have read about this phenomenon, expected to increase disasters in coastal areas. However that also means ports, hence supply chains, etc. All that joy. I note that this multi-year event is also expected to coincide with the peak of solar activity, and whatever that may bring.

Happy Monday everyone!

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/16/science/moon-wobble-rising-tide-sea-level.html

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  • Comments (8)

    • 1

      References??

    • 3

      This is the first I’ve heard about it but it does seem like something to keep an eye on. From the article you linked to:

      “High-tide floods, also called “nuisance floods,” occur in coastal areas when tides reach about 2 feet (0.6 meters) above the daily average high tide and begin to flood onto streets or seep through storm drains.”

      “The U.S. experienced more than 600 of these floods in 2019, ….. a new study led by NASA warns that nuisance floods will become a much more frequent occurrence in the U.S. as soon as the 2030s, with a majority of the U.S. coastline expected to see three to four times as many high-tide flood days each year for at least a decade.”

      It seems with climate change and now this moon wobble, if I had a home or business near the coastline, I would consider moving further inland. 

      Wobble to me means that the moon will sway closer and further away from the earth in a wobble orbit. I wonder if that means that certain areas or times of the year will see lower tides as well, that could change ports or coral reefs if tides get pulled out and ships can’t get to the dock or coral is exposed.

      • 1

        If you are on the coast, best keep alert.  There are far more dangerous events than “nuisance floods,” like tsunamis, generated by  subsea earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, which can cause major problems at a great distance.  Pretty good odds we will see a major tsunami somewhere in the world before 2030.

        I’ll take nuisance flooding any day…..

    • 2

      The moon wobble is a result of the intersection of earth’s orbit and that of the moon, this happens twice in each 20 year period. Due to recent sea level rises there may be a negligible increase to risk of flooding in some coastal regions. Personally I would be more worried about bad weather coinciding with seasonal high tides.

      I live at an elevation of 150 meters on a hillside overlooking a flood plain so I can afford to be a bit blasé about all this.

    • 2

      I’m just adding this as it’s a current example of the threat. I realize that prepping is prepping, mostly regardless of the reason, but it’s interesting that scientists are seeing a link well before 2030. 

      https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/sep/14/wobbly-moon-probable-cause-of-mass-tree-deaths-in-australia-scientists-say