Projecting Sea Level Rise

Now that you have an idea of how much sea level might rise, let's take a look at what this means for Assateague Island and the surrounding areas.

Take a look at and explore the interactive maps below for a few minutes.

Step 3. Based on what you observed on the maps, predict the impacts of sea level rise, a local effect of climate change, on Assateague Island and surrounding areas. Think about how the impact will affect 1. human safety, 2. economic activity and tourism, and 3. ecosystems. Some things to consider are:

  • Increased storm damage and inland flooding.
  • Damage and possibly loss of costal ecosystems.
  • Increased erosion of shorelines and beaches.
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  • Economic impacts (tourism, fisheries, property loss).
  • Salt water intrusion into aquifers and surface waters.
  • Loss or decreased agricultural production.

    • Use the two maps below to investigate the potential impacts of sea level rise. The first map provides satellite imagery to view landscape features, buildings, roads, etc.

    The second provides an interactive map of the same area and allows you to view the extent of sea level rise for different projections. projs. Briefly note your observations from the two maps in your Online Investigation Guide.

    This map allows you to look at the actual satellite images for the Assateague Island. You can:

    • Click "View Larger Interactive Map" to open a new browser tab.
    • Zoom in and out using the + and - controls on the map to see details like individual homes.
    • Shift the map around on the screen to view different areas.
    Teacher's Hat Icon

    Teacher’s perspective: What might students gain from online interactive visual information (e.g. interactive maps), that they might not gain from a graph on paper?
    		  Interatctive Sea Level Rise Map for Assateagure Island

    This map allows you to look at the projected sea level rise in the Assateague Island. You can:

    • Click "View Larger Interactive Map" to see the map in a new browser tab.
    • View the changes at different sea level rise projections (1ft, 2ft, etc.).
    • Compare the map to the Google Map to see high resolution images of the area.

    Interpreting the Map

    • The map opens at 1ft sea level rise.
    • Land within the blue margins will be under water.

    Next Up: The Science Behind Sea Level Rise