A huge part of San Francisco will be under water in just 80 years. SCHEME

After 80 years, San Francisco (California) may look completely different from what it is now. Scientists argue that construction and other urban transformations that we worry about may be just trifles compared with the serious effects of climate change, which will lead to rising sea levels and erosion of soils.

Фото: Depositphotos

According to a study conducted by the California Center for Climate Change in 2009, by 2100, rising sea levels could lead to more 480 000 people moving along the California coast and causing property losses in excess of 100 billion, if no preventative measures are taken, writes SF Gate.

The study found that communities in the San Francisco Bay Area would be particularly affected by climate change. A more recent paper published in 2018 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science estimates that by 2100, 48 to 166 square miles (124 to 430 sq. km) of the San Francisco Bay area will be inundated.

Using Climate Central's plug-in forecasts for Google Earth, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Agency (NOAA), journalists figured out how San Francisco might look like in 2100.

Forecasts suggest the worst case scenario for the city and show how the territory of present-day San Francisco will look like if no attempts are made to prevent the rise of sea level and erosion of soils. But since climate change is accelerating, NOAA models may end up being true. California's sea level has already risen 8 inches (20 cm) over the last century, and its rate of rise is likely to accelerate in the next century. On some models, in the next 100 years, the sea will rise by 4,60 feet (140 cm), which is almost seven times more than the level of elevation recorded in the twentieth century.

Because of this, San Francisco may lose famous tourist attractions and important infrastructure facilities such as Fisherman’s Wharf, Chrissy Field, Palace of Fine Arts, Salesforce Tower, Google offices, San Francisco and Oakland airports and the ferry wharf.

This is what the city looks like now and according to forecasts NOAA, will look like in 2100 year.

All photos: Google Earth / Climate Central. Collage: ForumDaily

Some of the city’s wetlands and natural ecosystems will change or be completely destroyed, and lands not affected by rising sea levels will be vulnerable to erosion. Arbuckle, a small town in 50 miles north of Sacramento, in nine years has dropped more than two feet from sea level (61 cm), according to a recent study by the California Department of Water Resources.

The California Climate Change Center provides accurate figures for the loss of critical infrastructure in the event of a projected rise in water levels in California.

According to forecasts, the state will lose:

• almost 140 schools;
• 34 police and fire department;
• 55 health care facilities;
• roughly 3500 miles (5600 km) of roads and highways;
• 30 coastal power plants;
• 28 sewage treatment plant.

Preventive measures can be taken to avoid this, although they will be costly. Around 1100 miles (1 km) of new or modified defenses are needed to prevent coastal flooding along the Pacific coast, according to the Climate Change Center. The California coast alone is about 770 miles (840 km) long. The Climate Change Center estimates that the total cost of building or renovating these facilities is estimated at $ 1 billion, with annual maintenance costing $ 352 billion.

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