Maps for the 22d Century

A Google Maps hack has been posted that allows you to see what any coastal area in the world would look like with a sea level rise at various one meter intervals. Posted below are some links to various spots along the Upper Texas coast with a one meter rise.

I selected the one meter rise because it is the closest to the current prediciton of a likely 0.5-0.8 m rise in sea level during our century as the result of climate change. You should also note that these elevation changes do not take into account other impacts such as the die off of vegetation due to salt water intrusion or the movement of dunes and shorelines as the result of waves and other coastal processes.

The ironic thing is that this hack provides the best data that we have for potential flooding along the Texas Coast. When I worked on the state coastal program, the powers that be repeatedly nixed any effort to map or plan for potential impacts due to sea level rise.

Sabine Pass

Bolivar Peninsula, Audubon Sanctuary

Galveston Island State Park

Kemah Waterfront & Clear Lake

San Jacinto Battleground

Courtesy of Boing Boing  ¶ 3:07 PM