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Disturbing Before-And-After Images Show What Major US Cities Could Look Like In The Year 2100

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Melia Robinson

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Washington, DC.Google Earth/Climate Central

Google Earth/Climate CentralThe world's oceans levels are rising at faster and faster rates as waters warm and ice sheets melt.

Researchers, led by University of Colorado-Boulder professor Steve Nerem, looked at satellite data dating back to 1993 to track the rise of sea levels.

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Their findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that sea levels aren't just rising — that rise has been accelerating over the last 25 years.

Even small increases can have devastating consequences, according to climate experts. If the worst climate-change predictions come true, coastal cities in the US will be devastated by flooding and greater exposure to storm surges by the year 2100.

Research group Climate Central has created a plug-in for Google Earth that illustrates how catastrophic an "extreme" sea-level rise scenario would be if the flooding happened today, based on projections in a 2017 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency.

You can install the plug-in (directions here) and see what might become of major US cities.

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In a worst case scenario, flooding caused by polar melting and ice-sheet collapses could cause a sea level rise of 10 to 12 feet by 2100, NOAA reported in January 2017.

Here's Washington, DC today. The famed Potomac River runs through it.

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And here's what Washington, DC, might look like in the year 2100 — as seen on Climate Central's plug-in for Google Earth. Ocean water causes the river to overflow.

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The National Mall drew "the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration," at Trump's swearing-in, according to Press Secretary Sean Spicer. It sits at the foot of the US Capitol.

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Future inaugurations wouldn't quite be the same.

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In 2017, President Trump stood in the Rose Garden at the White House and announced his intentions to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, a deal between 195 countries intended to mitigate global warming.

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In 2100, the Rose Garden could have an oceanfront view.

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New York City is situated on one of the world's largest natural harbors.

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The Hudson River could flood the city's perimeters and low-lying areas like the West Village.

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The Financial District encompasses the offices of many major financial institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

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Extreme sea level rise could devastate Wall Street. Battery Park would be a water park.

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San Francisco has a huge concentration of wealth and power in the technology world.

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It's also a peninsula that's prone to flooding.

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San Francisco International Airport serves over 53 million travelers every year.

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In 2100, flyers might have better luck flying into Las Vegas.

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Charleston, South Carolina, already has a flooding problem. The Southern city is flat and at low elevation, which makes it vulnerable to extreme flooding and storm surges.

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In 2100, you might need a boat to reach the city's center.

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Shopping at the Charleston City Market is a must-do for tourists visiting the area.

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But the long row of red-roofed buildings could be submerged under water by 2100.

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Los Angeles, which has the third highest elevation of all major US cities, might fare better.

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The projections show the Pacific Ocean climbing up the boardwalk, but that's about it.

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New Orleans is no stranger to the problems that come along with sea level rise.

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By 2100, The Big Easy could disappear under water. An estimated 500,000 people will have to leave the area in the next century in order to stay above ground.

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After flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina destroyed 80% of homes in the New Orleans area, tens of thousands of people sought refuge at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

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But the arena used as a "shelter of last resort" might not survive extreme sea level rise.

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Boston is the only state capital in the continental US that borders an ocean. Extreme sea level rise could cause the Charles River to overflow and spill onto city streets.

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Here's what Boston might look like in the year 2100. Massachusetts General Hospital would have to be abandoned, while Boston Public Garden would be soaked through.

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Many of the country's top universities sit along Boston's Charles River.

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The education world could say goodbye to the Harvard Business School, Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Northeastern University, among others.

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President Trump has spent a decent part of his presidency in Palm Beach, Florida.

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Source: Business Insider

He owns the Mar-a-Lago luxury resort and club, better known as the "Winter White House."

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If sea levels rose by as much as 12 feet, the Mar-a-Lago estate would not fare well.

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But Trump will be out of office by the time anything like that happens.

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Read the original article on Business Insider. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Copyright 2017.

Read next on Business Insider: 10 signs that some of the world's most powerful money managers are worrying more about climate change


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