In recent decades, scientists have increasingly focused their attention on the climate crisis looming over the planet. Research findings indicate that Earth's climate systems are becoming increasingly dysfunctional, unleashing unprecedented heatwaves and droughts worldwide. In a new study, researchers have made an even more alarming climate forecast for the planet's future, as reported by Daily Mail.
During their analysis, scientists created a new interactive map showing that by the end of this century, the global average sea level is projected to rise by 1.8 meters. According to an international group of researchers, this scenario has a 90% likelihood of becoming a reality if humanity does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, scientists note that this prediction is nearly double the latest forecast from the UN.
The results of the new study indicate that people living on the East Coast are at risk, as large portions of New York, Boston, Atlantic City, and Miami will be submerged. The new map also shows that Florida's resorts will find themselves underwater within just 75 years.
At the same time, the West Coast is expected to experience fewer flooding events, according to projections. Interestingly, scientists previously believed that all of California would eventually be submerged.
According to Benjamin Grandi, a senior researcher at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the lead author of the study, their new forecasts appear quite plausible and demonstrate that the future is highly uncertain regarding sea level rise.
The authors of the study also emphasize that it is more crucial than ever for humanity to take immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Climatologists are closely monitoring the East Coast amid concerns about glacial melting. Now, the researchers' new map suggests there are compelling reasons for these concerns. Significant portions of coastal cities such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, and Miami, Florida, will be underwater. Along the Gulf Coast, Mobile, Alabama, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Galveston, Texas, will also be largely inundated due to rising sea levels.
On the West Coast, major areas of Tacoma, Washington, as well as the San Francisco Bay area, Huntington Beach, and San Diego, California, will be affected by rising waters. However, this part of the country is much less impacted by sea level rise compared to the southern and eastern coasts of the US.
Scientists attribute this to the fact that the land along the West Coast is also rising due to tectonic plate shifts, resulting in a slower increase in sea level compared to the national average. The authors of the study point out that not only cities are at risk, but also iconic parks, natural areas, and reserves.
It is noteworthy that the researchers' work is based on a range of modeling methods for climate processes, including:
As a result, the models yield varying results, significantly complicating accurate predictions of how much sea levels will rise over time. However, researchers from NTU and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands have employed a "comprehensive" approach to their assessments, integrating statistical methods with expert evaluations.