What Would Maine Be Like If ALL The Ice On Earth Melts?
For years, we have been hearing about global warming and climate change. While opinions differ, many people believe that humans are at least somewhat responsible for the changes in our climate. Regardless of where you lie on the political spectrum, there is no denying that our climate is changing. It always has and it always will. Otherwise, how would prehistoric man have had to deal with at least a few recent ice ages.
One of the biggest fears when it comes to global warming is that all of the ice in the planet's polar regions would melt. Within the polar ice caps and several glaciers, there are thousands of tons of ice. If all of that melted, the Earth's sea level would rise by over 100 feet.
Recently, a Newsbreak contributor named Toni Koraza did some research into what would happen if all of the ice on Earth melted. In this doomsday scenario, not just the ice in the polar regions melts, ALL of the ice melts. ALL OF IT!
According to the article, if that were to happen, the sea level would rise by over 200 feet! That means, if you live somewhat inland from the coast, you could be sitting on potential waterfront property.
The article includes an interactive map that allows you to see what the ocean would reclaim depending on how much the oceans rose. We cranked the map up to the maximum level of sea level rise. It won't let you go up to the 200+ feet estimate. The max sea level increase you can set it for is 30 meters (about 100 feet), but that's terrifying enough!
It should come as no surprise that 100 feet of rise in the level of the ocean would put all of coastal Maine under the water. This includes Portland, South Portland, Saco, Biddeford, Falmouth, Freeport, Rockland, Bar Harbor, and more under the water. Because of the Penobscot River, much of Bangor / Brewer would also become a Mainah version of Atlantis.
In Central Maine, the banks of the Kennebec River would swell. Augusta, Waterville, Hallowell, Gardiner, and Randolph would be underwater. In fact, the Townsquare Media offices in Augusta (56 Western Ave) would become waterfront property.
Even worse, Brunswick and Topsham would be nearly underwater. They would become part of a new Kennebec River Delta.
Here's the tool if you want to play around with it.
Hopefully, we never get to the point where the ocean levels rise this much.
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