- Scientists are discovering that Greenland and Antarctica's ice sheets are melting much faster than they previously thought.
- Melting glaciers and warmer oceans will contribute to devastating sea-level rise in the next 80 years. If the worst-case projections are correct, US cities like San Francisco and New York and their famous landmarks could be underwater by 2100 .
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .
Disturbing before-and-after photos show how US cities — and their famous landmarks — could be underwater in 80 years
Last year was the warmest on record for the planet's oceans , and the fourth-warmest year ever for the Earth's surface temperature.
The more scientists study sea-level rise, the more daunting their predictions for coastal cities become.
A few years ago, theUN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that the world's sea levels would rise an additional 3 feet by 2100. But earlier this week, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences more than doubled this worst-case estimate, predicting that sea levels could rise by around 6.5 feet in the same time frame.
For coastal cities like New York and San Francisco, this spells bad news for low-lying waterfront neighborhoods and the many landmarks within them.
Climate Central's Google Earth plug-in shows what US cities would look like in the most extreme cases of sea-level rise. The tool estimates which areas of cities could be underwater by 2100 if sea levels were to rise by 8 feet the worst-case projection from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency data.
Here are the major US cities and landmarks that could be underwater in 80 years.
No city is immune to the consequences of a warming world, but a few are more vulnerable than the rest. Sea-level rise is a considerable threat in San Francisco, for example, where some land has begun to sink due to excessive groundwater pumping.
Google Earth/Climate Central
By the end of the century, the citys iconic Fishermans Wharf could be underwater.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Under this extreme scenario, Fisherman's Wharf would no longer be accessible to its 12 million annual visitors .
The citys Ferry Building has been around since the end of the 19th century.
Google Earth/Climate Central
But it could be inundated by 2100, along with the rest of the Embarcadero, a popular area for tourists and locals.
Google Earth/Climate Central
New Yorks Statue of Liberty doesnt stand much of a chance, either.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Lady Libertys 154-foot-tall pedestal may keep the statue from getting soaked, but the rest of Liberty Island could be submerged by 2100.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Construction workers are still putting the finishing touches on Manhattans World Trade Center complex, which likely wont be complete for another few years.
Google Earth/Climate Central
But the complex might be hard to reach without a boat 80 years from now.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Bostons historical North End would cease to exist by 2100.
Google Earth/Climate Central
A 2016 Zillow report found that one out of every six homes in Boston could be underwater by 2100. The report used NOAA's conservative estimates (6 feet of sea level rise).
Extreme projections of sea-level rise put the citys historic Faneuil Hall underwater, along with other parts of the Freedom Trail.
Google Earth/Climate Central
The NOAA estimates suggest that Boston will almost certainly see at least one flood with a depth of 6 feet or more by 2050.
A number of Washington, DC monuments are in danger, too.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Rising waters would inundate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, though the memorial itself could remain unscathed.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Much of the National Mall, including the Washington Monument and Capitol Building, would also escape the worst effects of sea-level rise.
DCs Thomas Jefferson Memorial is in a more precarious position, since its located along the Tidal Basin of the Potomac River.
Google Earth/Climate Central
The memorials entire platform is expected to be underwater.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Most neighborhoods in Charleston, South Carolina, could be underwater by 2100. That includes Fort Sumter, the site where the American Civil War began in 1861.
Google Earth/Climate Central
More than a decade ago, the Charleston City Paper predicted that the city could become "a half-drowned ghost town" by 2050. Under 12 feet of sea level rise, the paper reported, around 77% of the Charleston could be underwater.
Around64,000 of Charlestons residents are at risk of coastal floodingin the next 100 years.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Source: Climate Central
Most of Atlantic City, New Jersey (along with parts of New York City) wound up underwater during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The projections for 2100 are far worse.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Hurricane Sandyleft around 70% to 80% of Atlantic City underwater at the height of the storm. In some places, residents had to wade through water as deep as 8 feet.
The citys boardwalk, which includes the 1,000-foot-long Steel Pier amusement park, could be submerged 80 years from now.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Research from Climate Central suggests that 37,000 people are at risk of coastal flooding in Atlantic City in the next century.
New Orleans is no stranger to the problems that come with sea-level rise. In 2005, Hurricane Katrinas storm surge flooded 80% of the city.
Google Earth/Climate Central
By 2100, the entire city could disappear under the rising water. An estimated 500,000 people may have to permanently leave their homes.
Google Earth/Climate Central
During Hurricane Katrina, tens of thousands of people sought refuge at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints.
Google Earth/Climate Central
But even the arena might not escape extreme sea-level rise unscathed.
Google Earth/Climate Central
The state of Florida is especially vulnerable to rising seas. If all of Greenlands ice were to melt at once, the water would submerge everything south of West Palm Beach.
Google Earth/Climate Central
But even if Greenlands ice sheet remains intact, NOAA anticipates that Palm Beach, Florida could be wholly underwater by 2100.
Google Earth/Climate Central
That spells bad news for President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort, which is sometimes referred to as the Winter White House.
Google Earth/Climate Central
Under the worst-case scenario for sea-level rise, the greens and mansions of Mar-a-Lago could be completely submerged in 80 years.
Google Earth/Climate Central
See Also:
- Your seasonal allergies are getting worse because of high levels of carbon dioxide here's why
- Ice sheets are melting far faster than we thought in a worst-case climate breakdown, coastal cities like New York and Shanghai would be swamped
- Silicon Valleys largest city is sounding the alarm about a drinking water crisis that no one knows how to fix
SEE ALSO: What Earth might look like in 80 years if we're lucky and if we're unlucky
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