Map Shows US Cities That Could Go Underwater if Sea Levels Rise 3 Meters

Key Points:

• Scientists warn that the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is nearing collapse, which could cause significant long-term sea level rise and threaten major U.S. coastal cities from Florida to California with severe flooding.
• The glacier itself could raise global sea levels by about 65 centimeters (2 feet), but its collapse might destabilize larger parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, potentially contributing to nearly 3 meters (10 feet) of sea level rise over time.
• NOAA projections indicate that a 3-meter rise would inundate extensive areas along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, Gulf Coast, and West Coast, putting cities like Miami, New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco at risk of chronic flooding or partial submersion.
• Thwaites Glacier, larger than the state of Florida, has lost over 1 trillion tons of ice since 2000, with its floating ice tongue fracturing due to warming seawater, accelerating its destabilization.
• Experts, including NYU professor David Holland, emphasize that the glacier is held back by an ice shelf and seafloor features that are rapidly melting, placing the glacier on the "cusp of collapse" and posing a global threat to coastal communities.