That’s not the latest figure I heard… but this was from 2015. 66 meters is a HUGE underestimate. OTOH, all of these maps would just show everything submerged, so they wouldn’t be as much fun to look at!!
Ms. Margaret,
As a consolation may I suggest the Canadian Pavilion at Epcot?
It is 34 m above SL in Osceola next to Orange county and the space coast.
Bay of Epcot?
The mind boggles
Mark from Minnesota
I guess I should feel fortunate that Toronto will fare well in the post-icecap future, but it would have been nice to see one of your beautiful maps all the same.
I hope I’ve found your correct email address because I have read some interesting new(ish) data that you might find seimologically interesting and could combine the two of the Pacific Northwest region you’ve previously mapped under water. Sure, Seattle would look (possibly) how you have it, if the ice caps get to it first.
Well let’s see Sherry , 66 meters is 216 feet.. the Washington monument is 555 feet.. so you would clearly see the top half of the monument but everything under 1/3 of the monument would be completely under water… good luck…
I would love to see what Vancouver Island looks like. It is one of the largest islands in the world and just off shore from both Vancouver and Seattle.
As a hydrographic surveyor this site is great. I would love to see my hometown, New Orleans, or the region including the Mississippi gulf coast done. We have the Naval Oceanographic Office here and I am sure there are a lot of oceanographers that would be fascinated with a map showing the MS coast with a sea level rise.
You forgot the effect of the melting glaciers would have on
MR LINN FORGOT THE EFFECT OF ISOSTATIC RISE ON CONTINENTS WHEN YOU RELEASE THE ICE BURDEN ON ANTARCTICA AND GREENLAND THEY WILL RISE, OTHER CONTINENTS SINK LOWER. CATASTROPHIC EARTHQUAKES WOULD RESULT THOUSANDS OF TIMES STRONGER THAN ANY IN HUMAN RECORDED HISTORY.RESULT IS THAT SKYSCRAPERS WONT BE INTACT STICKING OUT OF THE WATER.VIRTUALLY ALL MANMADE STRUCTURES WILL BE RUBBLE EXCEPT MAYBE THE PYRAMIDS. SO THE PIC OF NYC UNDER WATER IS TOO PRETTY.
MR LINN FORGOT THE EFFECT OF ISOSTATIC RISE ON CONTINENTS WHEN YOU RELEASE THE ICE BURDEN ON ANTARCTICA AND GREENLAND THEY WILL RISE, OTHER CONTINENTS SINK LOWER. CATASTROPHIC EARTHQUAKES WOULD RESULT THOUSANDS OF TIMES STRONGER THAN ANY IN HUMAN RECORDED HISTORY.RESULT IS THAT SKYSCRAPERS WONT BE INTACT STICKING OUT OF THE WATER.VIRTUALLY ALL MANMADE STRUCTURES WILL BE RUBBLE EXCEPT MAYBE THE PYRAMIDS. SO THE PIC OF NYC UNDER WATER IS TOO PRETTY.
That is incorrect. Isostatic Rebound, even if the ice were instantly removed and not replaced in some part by the melted water, occurs over many thousands to tens of thousands (even millions) of years and is not and instantaneous process. Furthermore, any earthquakes associated with isostatic rebound would be no larger than they currently are in areas that are presently experiencing isostatic rebound(Canadian Shield, NW Europe, etc.). The size of earthquakes are directly related to the size of the faults in the and the strength of the rock. The rock in the earths crust is estimated to be able store enough strain/energy to accommodate a maximum of about a magnitude 9.6-9.9 earthquake. The largest faults/plate boundaries can generate earthquakes in the upper magnitude 9 range. What we see in current areas of isostatic rebound is increased seismicity over background aseismic areas (relatively common little earthquakes) with infrequent moderate (magnitude 5 ish) earthquakes and few large earthquakes (magnitudes 6.0-7.0+). Lastly, most of the ice is contained in Greenland and Antarctica – places with very little population to affect. So, as far as increases is seismic activity are concerned, there would most likely, be only small consequences to human civilization as the majority of the rebound seismic activity would be constrained to the areas that are currently covered by the ice in question. The increase in sea levels and the drastic changes in climate brought about by extreme changes in ocean currents would be the real damper on things.
Yes, the increased sea level would allow for hurricanes to move further inland than they have ever done before. All structures in the water would be devastated by storms and tsunamis. Of course, the new coastline would be constantly eroding, just as it does now. Only the erosion would react differently in areas that have never seen such forces as tides.
I’d also like to know the impact to the Great Lakes area. Living in Toledo (Northwest Ohio), we get much “lake effect” weather, bring between Lake Erie aND Lake Michigan.
It would be interesting to know how our states by the Great Lakes would be effected.
“Lake Effect” from Lake Michigan can effect NW Ohio even today (with winds typically from the NW), as can lake Erie with less common wind patterns (from the NE). If the water in either lake rose, then both would be larger and would move nearer to Toledo. As another poster has noted, though, neither Lake Michigan nor Lake Erie will be affected by sea level rise until / unless Niagara Falls disappears. Rivers and River-Lake systems will “back up” with sea level rise, but anyplace a waterfall remains provides a cut-off, leaving anything upstream of the waterfall unaffected.
One has to assume that Republicans own all of the rural high ground around the cities where the rest of us would retreat to survive. They would be able to charge us enormous rents to squeeze into ramshackle housing. They must see themselves making a lot of money from the rest of us to be so strongly opposed to stopping climate change. They’re not as dumb about climate as they claim to be.
Would love to see what happens to Long Island Sound. Will there, in fact, be a Long Island or will the Connecticut coast (having receded inland by how many miles?) now be directly on the Atlantic Ocean?
The subject is very interesting and the maps are truly visually stimulating … I think some people may be getting a little too worried , too early , though !
Cities come and cities go, as conditions change. It’s been the rule since long before Babylon. Give us some good news! Show me where current deserts, wastelands, and ice caps will turn into valuable, productive land so I can invest. Show me new, narrow sea lanes where I can claim land and install toll booths. 🙂
Will losing all our ice be an overall plus or minus to Earth’s total inhabitable land area? Adding Antarctica has to make-up for a lot of coastal losses, but how much of that will actually be inhabitable? Will the island chain left by the Antarctic Peninsula become a good resort location, or will that area still be as stormy and windy as it is now?
My home is 120 feet above sea level. How many years can I wait before selling, and still get a good price from global warming deniers?
Just wanted to add a bit of a “silver lining” to these gloomy predictions. We already vote for liberals, pay extra to buy our electricity from non-fossil sources, and purchase carbon offsets for the car. I don’t see much more that individuals can do. The only way to stop this now might be a world war that caused a nuclear winter, which would be worse.
At least we can console ourselves knowing we are neither the first nor the worst. Nothing humanity can do today compares with the Great Oxygenation Event, where one species of algae became so successful their waste products essentially wiped out the whole planetary biosphere.
Give us some good news! Show me where current deserts, wastelands, and ice caps will turn into valuable, productive land so I can invest. Show me new, narrow sea lanes where I can claim land and install toll booths.
I think you have your work cut out for yourself there.
The headline says, “What YOUR city would look like if the ice sheets melted,” alluding to something like a clickable globe or world map where one could take a close look at any location. If one happens to NOT live in one of the ten cities for which Mr. Linn provided a map, I guess one is out of luck in more ways than one.
Until you have map of Washington DC, there will be no policy response to sea-level rise. Can you post a Washington/Virginia/Maryland/Potomac River map?
These are very interesting and, at least for the moment, entertaining to look at. Maybe I’ll buy remote property in Alaska and open a tropical resort someday.
I really like the work you did here. I’ve been playing around with trying to do something similar but I dont have access to any decent CAD programs. I’ve been playing around with a novel based on a world where the water level rose nearly 3000 ft! It would leave the continental US a true series of islands. Yes, it is a fantasy novel. 😉
Have you considered doing a map of the Mississippi River? Of course the delta and Louisiana/Mississippi coastline would change dramatically, but what happens through the midwest would be just as devastating, especially considering that is where much of our food is grown.
What would be interesting to see is a North American electoral colored county map. Since most of the west coast coastal counties and upper east coast coastal counties tend to vote more Democratic (believe in climate change) and most of the interior counties and southern counties vote more Republican (in denial of climate change). Most of the “red” counties in the last election will not be directly impacted by flooding… except Florida and Texas… if enough people in the coastal counties in those states can be made aware of the future their children and grandchildren will be facing, they may be persuaded to acknowledge the need to try and address climate change and alter their voting patterns to start to create real action on the part of politicians…
Can I see the SF map, please? 🙂
Hi Sue–Burrito Justice did the SF map…http://burritojustice.com/200ft/
I can’t wait to see Toronto! We’re the third largest city in North America and it would affect a huge number of people.
Hi Margaret–according to the IPCC, the the highest sea level rise will be approximately 66 meters. Toronto is at 76 meters.
That’s not the latest figure I heard… but this was from 2015. 66 meters is a HUGE underestimate. OTOH, all of these maps would just show everything submerged, so they wouldn’t be as much fun to look at!!
Ms. Margaret,
As a consolation may I suggest the Canadian Pavilion at Epcot?
It is 34 m above SL in Osceola next to Orange county and the space coast.
Bay of Epcot?
The mind boggles
Mark from Minnesota
I guess I should feel fortunate that Toronto will fare well in the post-icecap future, but it would have been nice to see one of your beautiful maps all the same.
I hope I’ve found your correct email address because I have read some interesting new(ish) data that you might find seimologically interesting and could combine the two of the Pacific Northwest region you’ve previously mapped under water. Sure, Seattle would look (possibly) how you have it, if the ice caps get to it first.
Awesome job! I would love to see a Washington DC map.
Well let’s see Sherry , 66 meters is 216 feet.. the Washington monument is 555 feet.. so you would clearly see the top half of the monument but everything under 1/3 of the monument would be completely under water… good luck…
I would love to see what Vancouver Island looks like. It is one of the largest islands in the world and just off shore from both Vancouver and Seattle.
I would love to see the areas around the Great Lakes in the US at various levels.
much of down town Duluth was flooded this spring already
think a lot of those buildings need pontoons.
As a hydrographic surveyor this site is great. I would love to see my hometown, New Orleans, or the region including the Mississippi gulf coast done. We have the Naval Oceanographic Office here and I am sure there are a lot of oceanographers that would be fascinated with a map showing the MS coast with a sea level rise.
No more Florida I assume…
LoL , yep Dan .. if the water level rose 2 feet Florida would be gone.. well, everything but Space Mountain…..
Oh, well at least we’ll be able to have fun still! ?
How about Baltimore/D.C.?
Is there a Houston, TX planned?
No plans right now, but the Gulf Coast would be a fascinating map to make.
Oh! Do one for Belfast and Dublin!
You forgot the effect of the melting glaciers would have on
MR LINN FORGOT THE EFFECT OF ISOSTATIC RISE ON CONTINENTS WHEN YOU RELEASE THE ICE BURDEN ON ANTARCTICA AND GREENLAND THEY WILL RISE, OTHER CONTINENTS SINK LOWER. CATASTROPHIC EARTHQUAKES WOULD RESULT THOUSANDS OF TIMES STRONGER THAN ANY IN HUMAN RECORDED HISTORY.RESULT IS THAT SKYSCRAPERS WONT BE INTACT STICKING OUT OF THE WATER.VIRTUALLY ALL MANMADE STRUCTURES WILL BE RUBBLE EXCEPT MAYBE THE PYRAMIDS. SO THE PIC OF NYC UNDER WATER IS TOO PRETTY.
ISO
MR LINN FORGOT THE EFFECT OF ISOSTATIC RISE ON CONTINENTS WHEN YOU RELEASE THE ICE BURDEN ON ANTARCTICA AND GREENLAND THEY WILL RISE, OTHER CONTINENTS SINK LOWER. CATASTROPHIC EARTHQUAKES WOULD RESULT THOUSANDS OF TIMES STRONGER THAN ANY IN HUMAN RECORDED HISTORY.RESULT IS THAT SKYSCRAPERS WONT BE INTACT STICKING OUT OF THE WATER.VIRTUALLY ALL MANMADE STRUCTURES WILL BE RUBBLE EXCEPT MAYBE THE PYRAMIDS. SO THE PIC OF NYC UNDER WATER IS TOO PRETTY.
ISO
That is incorrect. Isostatic Rebound, even if the ice were instantly removed and not replaced in some part by the melted water, occurs over many thousands to tens of thousands (even millions) of years and is not and instantaneous process. Furthermore, any earthquakes associated with isostatic rebound would be no larger than they currently are in areas that are presently experiencing isostatic rebound(Canadian Shield, NW Europe, etc.). The size of earthquakes are directly related to the size of the faults in the and the strength of the rock. The rock in the earths crust is estimated to be able store enough strain/energy to accommodate a maximum of about a magnitude 9.6-9.9 earthquake. The largest faults/plate boundaries can generate earthquakes in the upper magnitude 9 range. What we see in current areas of isostatic rebound is increased seismicity over background aseismic areas (relatively common little earthquakes) with infrequent moderate (magnitude 5 ish) earthquakes and few large earthquakes (magnitudes 6.0-7.0+). Lastly, most of the ice is contained in Greenland and Antarctica – places with very little population to affect. So, as far as increases is seismic activity are concerned, there would most likely, be only small consequences to human civilization as the majority of the rebound seismic activity would be constrained to the areas that are currently covered by the ice in question. The increase in sea levels and the drastic changes in climate brought about by extreme changes in ocean currents would be the real damper on things.
Yes, the increased sea level would allow for hurricanes to move further inland than they have ever done before. All structures in the water would be devastated by storms and tsunamis. Of course, the new coastline would be constantly eroding, just as it does now. Only the erosion would react differently in areas that have never seen such forces as tides.
Would not the two areas mentioned be underwater, which is heavier?
… yet mass would be less, though not elsewhere such as the oceanic lithosphere trenches?
I’d also like to know the impact to the Great Lakes area. Living in Toledo (Northwest Ohio), we get much “lake effect” weather, bring between Lake Erie aND Lake Michigan.
It would be interesting to know how our states by the Great Lakes would be effected.
Deb, the IPCC estimates have sea level rise peaking just below Niagara Falls, so rising oceans wouldn’t impact the Great Lakes.
Lake Michigan is by Chicago… do you mean Lake Huron and Lake Eerie? Or Lake Ontario? Because Lake Michigan is nowhere near Ohio.
“Lake Effect” from Lake Michigan can effect NW Ohio even today (with winds typically from the NW), as can lake Erie with less common wind patterns (from the NE). If the water in either lake rose, then both would be larger and would move nearer to Toledo. As another poster has noted, though, neither Lake Michigan nor Lake Erie will be affected by sea level rise until / unless Niagara Falls disappears. Rivers and River-Lake systems will “back up” with sea level rise, but anyplace a waterfall remains provides a cut-off, leaving anything upstream of the waterfall unaffected.
One has to assume that Republicans own all of the rural high ground around the cities where the rest of us would retreat to survive. They would be able to charge us enormous rents to squeeze into ramshackle housing. They must see themselves making a lot of money from the rest of us to be so strongly opposed to stopping climate change. They’re not as dumb about climate as they claim to be.
Would love to see what happens to Long Island Sound. Will there, in fact, be a Long Island or will the Connecticut coast (having receded inland by how many miles?) now be directly on the Atlantic Ocean?
So from what I’m seeing… LONG LIVE MICHIGAN!!!!
The subject is very interesting and the maps are truly visually stimulating … I think some people may be getting a little too worried , too early , though !
I am a Seattlite, too, and saw your work featured here today:
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3039371/visualizing/this-is-what-your-city-would-look-like-if-all-the-worlds-ice-sheets-melt/4
Just had to write to tell you how A-M-A-Z-I-N-G your work is and I hope you can continue your project. Maybe Kickstarter?
Best to you!
Rome, Italy! Please?
Cities come and cities go, as conditions change. It’s been the rule since long before Babylon. Give us some good news! Show me where current deserts, wastelands, and ice caps will turn into valuable, productive land so I can invest. Show me new, narrow sea lanes where I can claim land and install toll booths. 🙂
Will losing all our ice be an overall plus or minus to Earth’s total inhabitable land area? Adding Antarctica has to make-up for a lot of coastal losses, but how much of that will actually be inhabitable? Will the island chain left by the Antarctic Peninsula become a good resort location, or will that area still be as stormy and windy as it is now?
My home is 120 feet above sea level. How many years can I wait before selling, and still get a good price from global warming deniers?
Just wanted to add a bit of a “silver lining” to these gloomy predictions. We already vote for liberals, pay extra to buy our electricity from non-fossil sources, and purchase carbon offsets for the car. I don’t see much more that individuals can do. The only way to stop this now might be a world war that caused a nuclear winter, which would be worse.
At least we can console ourselves knowing we are neither the first nor the worst. Nothing humanity can do today compares with the Great Oxygenation Event, where one species of algae became so successful their waste products essentially wiped out the whole planetary biosphere.
I think you have your work cut out for yourself there.
The headline says, “What YOUR city would look like if the ice sheets melted,” alluding to something like a clickable globe or world map where one could take a close look at any location. If one happens to NOT live in one of the ten cities for which Mr. Linn provided a map, I guess one is out of luck in more ways than one.
You seem upset.
Can you do something about Philadelphia and the surrounding area please?
A question many have been asking for years!
😉
How about the Phillipnes?
Looks great
What about some cities in the MENA region; where will they be after the melting of the ice caps? e.g. Jeddah in KSA etc
Have you done a speculation on the Arabian area of the world?
Until you have map of Washington DC, there will be no policy response to sea-level rise. Can you post a Washington/Virginia/Maryland/Potomac River map?
These are very interesting and, at least for the moment, entertaining to look at. Maybe I’ll buy remote property in Alaska and open a tropical resort someday.
I really like the work you did here. I’ve been playing around with trying to do something similar but I dont have access to any decent CAD programs. I’ve been playing around with a novel based on a world where the water level rose nearly 3000 ft! It would leave the continental US a true series of islands. Yes, it is a fantasy novel. 😉
Have you considered doing a map of the Mississippi River? Of course the delta and Louisiana/Mississippi coastline would change dramatically, but what happens through the midwest would be just as devastating, especially considering that is where much of our food is grown.
I am glad that I own property in and live in Colorado! C/S that is where sea-level is 6,235 feet above! Smart move in 1987…
What would be interesting to see is a North American electoral colored county map. Since most of the west coast coastal counties and upper east coast coastal counties tend to vote more Democratic (believe in climate change) and most of the interior counties and southern counties vote more Republican (in denial of climate change). Most of the “red” counties in the last election will not be directly impacted by flooding… except Florida and Texas… if enough people in the coastal counties in those states can be made aware of the future their children and grandchildren will be facing, they may be persuaded to acknowledge the need to try and address climate change and alter their voting patterns to start to create real action on the part of politicians…
New Jersey shore. No more Atlantic City. At least Trump Tower would be gone! Of course, the seas would be east of Philly.
South West Virginia?