Climate change poses a risk to everyone everywhere, but sea level rise will prove especially problematic for low-lying coastal cities around the globe. Scientists explain that as global temperatures increase, seawater expands, land-based ice melts, and glaciers flow into the sea. Projections regarding just how drastically sea levels will rise depend on the rate of global temperature increase. Climate Central predicts that by 2100, global sea levels could rise anywhere from two to seven feet.
These numbers often sound insignificant, especially given how vast our oceans are, which is why visuals like the video above really drive the point home.
For the sake of full disclosure, the video purports to show the impact of a 2-degree celsius change in global temperature on New York City. But compared to Climate Central models, the flooding in the streets more closely resembles a 4-degree celsius change – one that scientists say would occur if greenhouse gas emissions continued at their current rate.
