This isn't to downplay climate change or the risk of rising sea levels. These are very real, but I think that many people overestimate it. Even for Miami, which is very elevation, I don't think we will see it underwater... but we will see lots of flooding since the sewage systems won't be able to drain when the ocean level gets too close to the land. This already happens, but it will get worse.
Everglades restoration would also help the aquifer fight off rising seas that make it vulnerable to saltwater intrusion and pollution caused by run-off from agricultural lands and residential areas.
“Restoration is key because when water can once again move north to south, more clean water can fill up the Everglades and the aquifer, allowing fresh water to push back the salt water,” Crowl says.I was going to make a refined criticism but this typo makes it clear - neither you nor anyone else knows what is happening with sea level rise. Why question "NOA" - named NOAA ? because of recent activity in the western antarctic ice shelf.
sorry to dismiss this comforting thought, but no, nobody knows what the sea levels will be in the year 2100 -- this is a serious situation and it is getting worse now.
What's doubly distressing is that it's been so highly politicized. I'm not $ure why that i$...
In south Florida, the estimated sea-level rise for the intermediate-high emissions scenario is approximately 5.5 feet by 2100. Attaining 2 feet of SLR requires an intermediate-low scenario. The high scenario results in 7 feet.
A nice viewer is here: https://coast.noaa.gov/slr
https://sciencecouncil.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1...
This is noted in the document you linked to, where they mention most of the models project an increase in of Atlantic hurricanes reaching Category 4 or 5 even at an optimistic 2 degree C rise. They do note it's somewhat uncertain though, I'll give you that.
The Everglades are 0-8 ft[1] above sea level and average depth of the water is 4-5 ft[2]. If that elevation is measured at the surface of the water, then it would only take a few feet of sea-level rise to contaminate the Everglades.
> Even for Miami, which is very elevation, I don't think we will see it underwater
Most of Miami-Dade County was projected to be under water by 2060[3], and that was before the recent discovery that glaciers are melting much faster than we expected[4].
1. https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/news/parkstatistics.htm
2. http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/En-Ge/Everglades.html
3. https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/scientists-warn-south-flo...
4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/05/0...
The first thing you'll notice living in Florida is coastal flooding, but the imminent and more pressing danger is salt water intrusion. You don't need to cover all the surface of land with water for that happen. If sea levels rise only 2 feet the fresh water sources along the coasts are threatened from salt water coming in from the sides. Florida is particularly vulnerable because it has very porous limestone geology. This geology allows for deeper interior advancement of salt water compared to other coastal areas, meaning less sea level rise is required for large fresh water impacts
Here's a good visualization on what salt water intrusion is https://blogs.egu.eu/network/gfgd/2018/02/12/saltwater-intru...
Here's an article specifically about the threat to Florida's drinking water https://cnsmaryland.org/2020/11/23/salt-levels-in-floridas-g...