A government study says sea levels are rising faster along a stretch of the US East Coast than they are around the globe.

The area covers the Atlantic Coast from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to just north of Boston.

US Geological Survey scientists call the 965-kilometer 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 three to four times faster than the global average.