An interactive map shows how parts of Maryland could end up underwater as sea levels rise due to climate change.
The state is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise due to its nearly 3,200 miles of coastline and extensive low-lying coastal lands.
A recent report from the University of Maryland Environmental Science Center and the Maryland Climate Change Commission projected that sea level will rise in the state between 1 and 1.6 feet by 2050. By 2100, the rise could be up to 4.9 feet in a more extreme future scenario, according to the report.
This map shows current sea levels in Maryland. The state is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise due to its nearly 3,200 miles of coastline and extensive low-lying coastal lands. This map shows current sea levels in Maryland. The state is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise due to its nearly 3,200 miles of coastline and extensive low-lying coastal lands. NOAA
“Maryland is one of the most vulnerable states in the United States, and the Chesapeake Bay in particular has many low-lying shorelines that will be inundated with sea level rise,” said Bill Dennison, interim president of the University of Maryland Center for . for Environmental Sciences, he told Newsweek.
He said the main reasons Maryland is vulnerable, besides low-lying land, are due to the problem of sinking land and coastal ocean currents like the Gulf Stream that lead to high sea levels.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) map allows users to see how different parts of the United States would be affected if sea levels rose by different amounts.
If sea level rose 3 feet, several areas along the Maryland coast would be submerged, particularly areas of the Chesapeake Bay. The bay, which is the largest estuary in the United States, is a major attraction, with several waterfront towns and ports.
The Chesapeake Bay is also home to numerous islands, including Smith Island and Tangier Island, which would be underwater if sea levels rise.
More coastal areas of the state would be invaded by water if sea levels rose 6 feet, which the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says is a scenario that “cannot be ruled out.”
In this scenario, large portions of the coastal areas of Annapolis, the state capital, would be underwater. The coastal areas of Baltimore, the most populous city in the state, would also begin to be submerged.
This map shows what Maryland would look like if sea level rose 6 feet. The state is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise due to its nearly 3,200 miles of coastline and extensive low-lying coastal area… This map shows what Maryland would look like if sea level rose 6 feet. The state is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise due to its nearly 3,200 miles of coastline and extensive low-lying coastal lands. More NOAA
Dennison said there are already multiple visible impacts of sea level rise in the Chesapeake Bay.
He said salt marshes, which historically could withstand rising sea levels through sediment accumulation and organic production, are now drowning due to reduced sediment flow.
He also said flooding on sunny days was becoming a growing problem in areas such as downtown Annapolis and downtown Baltimore. Also known as nuisance flooding or high tide flooding, these refer to flooding that is not necessarily caused by rain.
Annapolis and Baltimore are the two cities most severely affected by nuisance flooding in the United States, and the problem will only get worse as sea levels rise.
NOAA’s interactive map also allows users to click on certain streets and landmarks and see a projected image of what they would look like if they were partially underwater.
The map shows how Thames Street in Baltimore would be partially submerged if sea level rose 3 feet, and how cars would be underwater if sea level rose 6 feet.
The risks of sea level rise are compounded by the fact that some parts of Maryland are sinking more than 10 centimeters per decade, according to research from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The problem, known as land subsidence, especially affects states on the East Coast. It occurs partly due to natural geological processes and also due to human activities such as the extraction of groundwater from deep within the earth.
Researchers noted that parts of the Delmarva Peninsula, which spans Maryland and Delaware, are a hotspot for distortion, meaning the land is sinking at an accelerating rate.
Maryland has begun preparing for the risks posed by sea level rise. Dennison said the state’s resilience plans include adjusting infrastructure and protecting emergency generators from flooding.
The state has also been allocated $107 million in federal funds to improve the climate resilience of its transportation systems through the bipartisan infrastructure bill of 2021.
“We will need to prepare for sea level rise, regardless of what happens to our global greenhouse gas emissions. It is here to stay, at least, for the rest of the century,” Dennison said.
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