The area covers the Atlantic Coast from Cape Hatteras, N.C., to just north of Boston.
U.S. Geological Survey scientists call the 600-mile swath a "hot spot" for climbing sea levels caused by global warming.
Their study says that since 1990, sea levels in that region have been rising at an annual rate that's three to four times faster
than the global average.
Since then, Norfolk, Va.'s sea level has jumped about 5 inches, Philadelphia's 4 inches and New York City's 3 inches. The global
average is 2 inches.
The study was published Sunday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)