Think the gigantic Kelvin wave currently raising sea levels along California, wreaking havoc with erosion, was a one-time visitor? Think again.
According to a new report from NPR, more of these enormous, invisible ocean waves are headed for the West Coast. And that’s potentially bad news for coastal communities already battered by months of relentless surf and erosion.
In fact, scientists say a strong El Niño typically generates five or six Kelvin waves, with several expected to arrive through fall and early winter.
This is what happens when you are dealing with a massive Kelvin wave… pic.twitter.com/hdN11xSecG
— #Anonymous (@TheStripesGirl) October 12, 2026
North Carolina State University atmospheric scientist Dillon Amaya told NPR the next could reach San Diego in late October or early November.
And there are more behind it.
NOAA oceanographer Michael Jacox confirmed that “one or two more” were already traveling through the tropics.
“We’re dealing with a multi-headed monster,” oceanographer Dr. Emily Varon said. “Initially, models suggested a single Kelvin wave would surge up the West Coast this season. But the latest satellite telemetry confirms a much darker reality: a prolonged series of Kelvin waves has decoupled from the equatorial Pacific. There is definitely more to come.”
So, what exactly are these mysterious oceanic giants?
Named after 19th-century physicist Lord Kelvin, the waves form when weakened trade winds help push warm Pacific water eastward along the equator. Upon reaching South America, they split, with one branch traveling north along the West Coast and another heading south toward Chile.
Columbia University climate scientist Mark Cane compared the phenomenon to “an enormous bathtub sloshing around,” while speaking with NPR.
Unlike waves surfers ride, Kelvin waves aren’t towering walls of breaking water.
“It’s a planetary-scale wave,” Amaya explained.
Stretching thousands of miles, these slow-moving pulses can temporarily raise coastal sea levels by six to 12 inches, according to NOAA.
And that’s where the trouble begins.
Amaya estimated that the recent Kelvin wave had already raised Southern California’s water levels by six to eight inches when Tropical Storm Rachel arrived earlier this month.
NASA climate scientist Josh Willis described the convergence of El Niño, high tides, and storm surge as a “triple whammy.”
Related: ‘Second Arm’ Super El Niño Surges Toward What Could Be the Strongest in 1,000 Years
Amaya said the resulting storm surge was “made more devastating because of the Kelvin wave.”
The consequences have been visible from Malibu to Laguna Beach, where powerful surf has damaged roads, eroded beaches, and threatened coastal cliffs.
Kelvin waves also push colder, nutrient-rich water deeper, disrupting marine ecosystems and encouraging unusual warm-water species to venture north.
Importantly, another Kelvin wave doesn’t guarantee another destructive storm. But it raises the ocean’s baseline, making subsequent high tides and powerful surf more dangerous.
And with this Super El Niño expected to remain strong into early 2027, California’s battered coastline may have several more rounds to contend with.
The ocean, apparently, isn’t finished yet.
Related: Watch: Seawall Collapses at Iconic SoCal Hotel Amid Massive Surf
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