Sea Level Rise and the Fate of Coastal Cities

Provided by: Google Earth |Published on: April 27, 2021

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Synopsis

This interactive tour shows projected sea level rise of eight different locations under 2°C and 4°C warming scenarios.

Subjects: Chemistry, Earth and Space Sciences

Authors: Google Earth, Climate Central

Region: Global

Languages: English

Positives

This map shows these cities underwater, making sea level rise more concrete for students.
Additional links feature maps and fly-over videos for certain cities.

Additional Prerequisites

Students should be familiar with how climate change causes sea levels to rise.
Projected sea level rise for each city can be visualized at global warming of 2°C or 4°C. You can challenge your students to notice the differences between the two warming scenarios.
Students should be familiar with climate change and sea level rise.
This tour of sea level rise around the world features the following eight locations:
- (1) Antarctica
- (2) London, England
- (3) New York City, USA
- (4) Mumbai, India
- (5) Shanghai, China
- (6) Lagos, Nigeria
- (7) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- (8) San Francisco, USA

Differentiation

Students who live in or near one of these cities can explore the hyperlocal impacts of sea level rise under these two different warming scenarios.
Social studies and geography students can explore these cities and offer recommendations for climate adaptation, including building sea walls, retrofitting buildings to withstand chronic flooding, and organizing a managed retreat from the coast. Students could present their findings to the rest of the class.
Science students can conduct this experiment to understand the thermal expansion of water, one of the reasons for sea level rise.
Students can use this NOAA resource to read more about sea level rise and see up-to-date information on sea level rise.

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