Doomsday map exhibits what US cities will vanish underwater in lower than 75 years
A new doomsday map has revealed that several major US cities could be underwater by the end of this century if global temperatures continue to rise at current rates
A terrifying map has revealed that several US coastal cities could be submerged by 2100 due to rising sea levels if global temperatures continue to soar. The interactive tool, created by research group Climate Central, shows the potential impact of different warming scenarios on sea level rise in the coming years.
It suggests that if global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100, numerous coastal cities in states including Louisiana, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Delaware, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire and Alabama will be underwater. The map pinpoints areas at risk of significant sea level rises, such as large swathes of New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama.
Large sections of land along the Texas barrier islands, including parts of Galveston Island and Beaumont, are also under threat. In New York City, regions of Staten Island, Far Rockaway, Queens, and Long Island could be below the tideline by 2100.
This alarming prediction comes as weather monitoring agencies announced last Friday that 2024 was Earth’s hottest year on record. UN weather experts from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that the Earth warmed by 1.55 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures last year.
Four out of six international datasets analysed by WMO indicated a higher than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) global average increase for the entirety of last year, although two did not, reports the Express US.
The 1.5 degrees Celsius target, a cornerstone of the 2015 Paris Agreement, is under threat as global temperatures continue to soar, experts warn. “We saw extraordinary land, sea surface temperatures, extraordinary ocean heat accompanied by very extreme weather affecting many countries around the world, destroying lives, livelihoods, hopes and dreams,” said WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis.
“We saw many climate change impacts retreating sea ice glaciers. It was an extraordinary year.”
The UN agency highlighted the critical role of ocean warming in last year’s unprecedented temperatures, with oceans absorbing about 90 percent of the excess heat from global warming. “The ocean is the warmest it has ever been as recorded by humans, not only at the surface but also for the upper 2,000 meters,” the WMA reported.
Meanwhile, NOAA confirmed that the previous year was the hottest on record for the US. “There’s nothing to indicate that it won’t continue,” NOAA monitoring chief Russ Vose remarked on Friday (January 10).
“When there’s more heat in the system that has a cascading effect on other parts of the system. Sea level goes up. Warmer air can hold more moisture which tends to equate to more extreme storms.”
Scientists are pointing fingers at the burning of fossil fuels as the primary driver behind the alarming rise in temperatures.
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