Scientists: Photos of ‘king tides’ globally show risks of climate change

DEPOE BAY, Ore. (AP) -- Amateur scientists worldwide are documenting what will happen to Earth as climate change melts the polar ice caps and sea levels rise.

Snap-happy citizen scientists from New Zealand to the Oregon coast in the United States are taking photos along vulnerable coastlines during extreme tidal events called “king tides.”

Their goal is to capture what it will look like when rising sea levels make the flooding seen during extreme tides a more common occurrence.

Hundreds of photos have been uploaded into databases around the world for study and analysis. The photos show swamped farmhouses, flooded downtowns, disappearing beaches and eroded wetlands.

Scientists say the stark images help people visualize what rising oceans will do to the places where they live and work every day.

Read more at: https://apnews.com/f9504100298067d25afa7592d40ede1e