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What to know about the Kelvin wave raising the sea level along the West Coast
Summary by The San Francisco Editorial Desk Martha Bellisle | The Associated Press , as published by NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC)
· October 5, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) · view original
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Summary created by The San Francisco Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Martha Bellisle | The Associated Press, as published by NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) Original story Read at the source Source published Oct 5, 2026 Indexed here Oct 5, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key points Experts say this year's El Niño could intensify the impacts of these waves. The expected surge will be between 6 inches and a foot.
Concerns are rising about beach erosion and flooding due to climate change and El Niño. A series of warm water pulses is expected to cause sea levels to increase. These pulses, known as Kelvin waves, are bulges of water that lift sea levels as they move. Experts say this year's El Niño could intensify the impacts of these waves.
Kelvin waves are common during El Niño events and are not like tsunamis. They cause the sea level to rise as they move along the coast. The expected surge will be between 6 inches and a foot.
Further details about Kelvin waves and their expected impact are available from the source.
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Category: parks Published: October 5, 2026 Source: NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Concerns are rising about beach erosion and flooding due to climate change and El Niño. A series of warm water pulses is expected to cause sea levels to increase. These pulses, known as Kelvin waves…
When was this published? This article was first published on October 5, 2026 by NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) and curated for The San Francisco readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Martha Bellisle | The Associated Press at NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC). To learn more about how The San Francisco selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more parks coverage from The San Francisco, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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