The Chinese territory of Macau is reasonably safe from earthquake-induced tsunamis – for now. But if sea level rises by half a meter (a plausible outcome by 2060) Macau’s tsunami risk will double, researchers reported last week in the journal Science Advances.

The relationship between sea level rise and coastal cities’ vulnerability to flooding from storm surges is well known. But it turns out that sea level rise can also magnify the consequences of natural disasters that aren’t directly connected to the climate system.

Researchers used computer models to simulate earthquakes along the Manila Trench, which runs from the southern tip of Taiwan to Luzon, the Philippines. They modeled the tsunamis that could result from earthquakes of varying magnitude, and mapped the waves’ inundation of Macau, a densely…