- Big Cypress National Preserve
- Biscayne National Park
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Everglades National Park
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Kenai Fjords National Park
- Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens
- Point Reyes National Seashore
- Rock Creek Park
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
- Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Florida
Sea Level Rise Projections
Scroll to learn moreWhere did these numbers come from?
(Swipe the image below to see more)
Average Sea Level
2000
Tide gauges record sea level every hour. Sea level is averaged over 19 years. "Average sea level in 2000" here is based on records from 1983–2001 at the nearest tide gauge. Keep in mind that tides rise and fall twice a day. During high tide, this marker will be underwater.
Projected Sea Level
2100
The National Park Service manages parks based on sea level rising 3 feet (0.9m) by 2100. The marker shows sea level in 2100 as 3 feet above average sea level in 2000.*
*Several sources support this. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2013) estimates an average global sea level rise of 0.85–2.69 feet (0.21–0.83m) by 2100. Yet, ice sheet melting may be underestimated. The IPCC cites 20 other academic articles with high-end estimates ranging from 1.64–5.12 ft by 2100. The 3-foot marker represents a mid-range projection.
Projected Sea Level
2300
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that average global sea level will rise 0.85 to 12 feet (0.92 to 3.59m) by 2300. The marker shows sea level in 2300 at 12 feet (3.6m) above average sea level in 2000.
Will Sea Level Really Rise This Much?
That depends. Projections vary depending on how much we change our carbon emissions. More than 97% of scientists agree that climate change is mostly caused by human activities, like burning fossil fuels. By reducing our carbon emissions, we can slow the pace of sea level rise.