Flood Maps: View Sea Level Rise
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 03.27.07
As the earth’s ice caps continue to melt rising water levels are a global threat. If you find it hard to wrap your head around the concept, don’t worry, you are not alone. In response to this issue Alex Tingle, an accomplished programmer, created Flood Maps. Users can adjust the sea level in 1 meter increments up to 14 and observe the consequences of the rise for coastal areas around the world. The model is based on data from NASA and uses the Google’s mapping API which gives the application a familiar and easy-to-use interface.
Alex says, “I’m more interested in alerting people to the certain consequences of current global warming than on indulging people’s fascination with science-fiction scenarios.” His model tends to err on the optimistic side to avoid being labeled alarmist. In the hope that it will help get the message about rising sea levels and climate change beyond “its Internet ghetto, into pubs and workplaces” Alex is currently working on a system that would allow people to turn the maps into images on T-shirts.
Want to help spread the message by incorporating Flood Maps into your website? Here’s how. :: Wired Magazine :: Flood Maps
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I checked the flooding predictions of this website against some higher-resolution data, and the map resolution is too low - it actually understates the total amount of flooding. For example, try flooding Manhattan with 12 meters of water (about 40 feet), one of the examples used in "An Inconvenient Truth". The images in the documentary are correct, but the website shows far less flooding.
Ah, figured it out. This site uses Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data to determine the altitude. But in an urban area, this data includes the heights of the buildings as well as the land, and averages it over a 90-meter interval. So in urban area, the elevations are too high, and the results will underestimate flooding. In areas with few buildings, the results will be more accurate.
At 14 meters rise, the pentagon, Reagan national, all the monuments, and union station are all under water. The white house and capital building are both waterfront, too.
I'm working under the assumption that most of Florida will be gone by the time I retire.
Let me see if I understand this correctly? This flooding hasn't actually happened, and this is computer software so you can pretend it has?
Sort of like when you play Grand Theft Auto Miami, on your X-Box, you're not actually stealing a car, nor are you in Miami?
Okay. Just checking. Sounds like fun.
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editor note: Predicting possible scenarios and outcomes is a good way to plan to avoid them. This is done in all kind of fields, nothing special. It's not Grand Theft Auto.
DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was hoping my home would end up being water fronted, but unfortunately even with global warming its still no where near me!!!!
Although, on the bright side, the sailing should be better :)
The sky is falling...The sky is falling...
2005, the warmest in 114 years? What's up with that? Must have been those old thermometters.
But, darn those old polluters anyway... should have corked up old Clip-Clop huh!
I jacked it up to 14 m, and most of Florida was still there. That isn't what I've been noticing in other models. I think the urban thing is really throwing it off.
There are many useful informations in this great article…I really enjoy reading the whole blog that you write. Thanks!
This is why US spreads its military bases here and there...))) It will not help...