Rising sea levels are a popular topic, especially for coastal areas. So it’s no surprise that potential changes to the coastline over years to come would be on San Franciscans’ minds due to the city’s miles of coastline.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently released an interactive map that shows what areas will look like at certain sea levels. The map is intended to give help the public analyze how rising sea levels can impact their local communities. The tool was created by the NOAA Office For Coastal Management, utilizing its data to create digital resources for the public. The map includes most of the United States’ coast, besides the Great Lakes Area.
The interactive tool allows you to zoom in to see how rising sea levels will affect the coastline. Thankfully, the map shows much of SF will be left above the water, even at the most extreme predictions of an additional 10 feet. The map even allows you to view sea level predictions for certain years, going decades in advance until 2100. For example, the tool estimates that in 2100, sea levels could rise by 6.53 feet at the extreme of the prediction.
The tool predicts that San Francisco’s east coast could be the most impacted, and East Bay is seeing significant changes in the coastline. The tool also allows you to see how specific areas would look with the sea levels. The tool shows what the Vaillancourt Fountain at the Embarcadero would look like with higher sea levels.
You can also explore what 2017’s predictions were for rising sea levels to compare how the projection changed. It has different functions, including sea levels, local scenarios, mapping confidence, vulnerability, flooding, and marsh migration. You can access the tool here if you want to learn more, and the NOAA also provides tutorials and examples to get the most out of the interactive map.