Jiang Li John Fasullo Devin Galloway Yi Liu 2020 <p><span>Relative sea level rise at tide gauge Galveston Pier 21, Texas, is the combination of absolute sea level rise and land subsidence. We estimate subsidence rates of 3.53&nbsp;mm/a during 1909–1937, 6.08&nbsp;mm/a during 1937–1983, and 3.51&nbsp;mm/a since 1983. Subsidence attributed to aquifer-system compaction accompanying groundwater extraction contributed as much as 85% of the 0.7&nbsp;m relative sea level rise since 1909, and an additional 1.9&nbsp;m is projected by 2100, with contributions from land subsidence declining from 30 to 10% over the projection interval. We estimate a uniform absolute sea level rise rate of 1.10&nbsp;mm&nbsp;±&nbsp;0.19/a in the Gulf of Mexico during 1909–1992 and its acceleration of 0.270&nbsp;mm/a</span>²<span>&nbsp;at Galveston Pier 21 since 1992. This acceleration is 87% of the value for the highest scenario of global mean sea level rise. Results indicate that evaluating this extreme scenario would be valid for resource-management and flood-hazard-mitigation strategies for coastal communities in the Gulf of Mexico, especially those affected by subsidence.</span></p> application/pdf 10.1038/s41598-020-74696-4 en Nature Land subsidence contributions to relative sea level rise at tide gauge Galveston Pier 21, Texas article