This sea level rise KML overlay shows projected U.S. sea levels for the year 2100 under an “extreme” scenario published in NOAA Technical Report NOS CO-OPS 083, Global and Regional SLR Scenarios for the U.S (January 2017). The extreme scenario refers to a global mean sea level rise of 2.5 meters ± 15cm. This scenario corresponds to rapid ice loss in West Antarctica this century. Recent research finds that such loss is plausible, but we do not yet know its likelihood. However, NOAA’s projections indicate that deep cuts in heat-trapping pollution could lower the chances of this scenario occurring by half.
Different places have different projected sea levels due to local factors such as rising or sinking land. This map shows the appropriate level in each location. Local sea level rise values are available via Risk Finder: first search for the place you want, then scroll down to the extreme scenario section. This map uses the median (middle) subscenario of the extreme scenario in the NOAA report. It shows sea level increase relative to the local high tide line (technically, the mean higher high water line, based on water level records from 1983-2001).
For information on why U.S. projections outside Alaska are so much higher than the global average of 8.25 feet, see this article
For information on the most threatened U.S. cities and states, as well as to learn about the methodology behind this map, see this report
To explore this sea level projection in a 2D map in U.S. locations, navigate to this page.
Sea Level Rise: 2.5 meters ± 15cm
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