The annual ‘King Tide’ occurred Thursday in Miami, an astrological high tide caused by the sun and moon’s gravitational tug on the Earth’s oceans. While ‘king tides’ occur all over Earth, they offer scientists a preview of predicted sea level rise resulting from global warning.

For the most part, the flooding was handled adequately, with $15 million in pumps forcing water out of the city. These pumps operate from 7,000 to 14,000 gallons of water per minute. The city of Miami plans to spend over $500 million in the coming year to improve drainage infrastructure, including 58 water pumps.

One group of scientists is concerned with the environmental impact of the city’s water pump solution. Flooding water often contains many hazardous wastes which impact the ecosystems into which they are pumped. In the case of Miami, this is often the Biscayne Bay.

Henry O. Briceño, a Florida International University geologist, leads a research team examining this impact. According to the Miami Herald, the team tests salinity, temperature and oxygen content, as well as examining nutrients in the water that can trigger dangerous algae blooms and kill sea grass. By understanding the effects of this annual tide, scientists will be better able to predict the problems associated with sea-level rise.

According to public works director Eric Carpenter, the pump projects are not necessarily a long term solution. A more stringent building code placing buildings higher off the ground, higher roads and a taller sea wall will likely be needed in the future. Southern Florida sits atop porous limestone that allows the tide to attack dry land not only from the sides but from below, seeping into the city’s drains.

The solution to pump water out of the city may suffice in handling routine flooding, but with respect to sea level rise, the plan is “more of a patch than a solution,” said City Engineer Bruce A. Mowry.