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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.

flooding New York City Hurricane Sandy now and then

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.

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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.

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Google Earth/Climate Central

Google Earth/Climate Central

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Under this extreme scenario, Fisherman's Wharf would no longer be accessible to its 12 million annual visitors .

Google Earth/Climate Central

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Google Earth/Climate Central

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Google Earth/Climate Central

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Google Earth/Climate Central

Google Earth/Climate Central

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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).

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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.

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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.

Google Earth/Climate Central

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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.

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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.

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Research from Climate Central suggests that 37,000 people are at risk of coastal flooding in Atlantic City in the next century.

Google Earth/Climate Central

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Google Earth/Climate Central

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Google Earth/Climate Central

See Also:

SEE ALSO: What Earth might look like in 80 years if we're lucky and if we're unlucky

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Email: news@pulselive.co.ke

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