Massachusetts map shows where state could be underwater from sea level rise

An interactive map shows how parts of Massachusetts could be submerged if sea levels rise because of climate change.

The map by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) allows users to see how different parts of the United States would be affected if sea levels rose by various amounts.

The United Nations‘ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects that by the year 2100, global sea levels could rise by up to 3.6 feet. However, it says that a rise of around 6.6 feet “cannot be ruled out.”

If sea levels were to rise by three feet, Massachusetts’ coastal areas, which in total span over 1,500 miles, would begin to be inundated by water, according to the NOAA.

If sea levels were to rise by six feet, portions of Boston and Cambridge would be flooded, particularly the areas on the Charles River.

On the Cambridge side of the river, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would be largely underwater and even some of Harvard University’s buildings near the riverbank would be submerged.

On the Boston side, several neighborhoods would be flooded.

The coastal areas of the Cape Cod Peninsula, which is a popular vacation destination, would also suffer water encroachment, as would parts of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

Not only would flooding impact residents and possibly displace those living in coastal areas, it could also negatively impact the state’s tourism industry.

Massachusetts is also one of several states that is suffering land subsidence, which happens partly because of natural geological processes as well as human activities such as the extraction of groundwater from deep in the earth.

“We are experiencing rates a little bit faster than other parts of the country… just because our land is sinking and the same time the ocean levels are rising,” Greg Berman, coastal processes specialist with the Sea Grant program with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, told WBZ News in 2023.

“Specifically for Massachusetts. We’ve had about a foot of sea level rise over the last 100 years, and we’re probably, going to see about that much again over the next 30 years,” Berman said. “So we’re talking about a rate that is almost three times as much as we’ve experienced.”

He said that rising sea levels would mean more nuisance flooding, which is flooding that takes place because of high tides and not necessarily because of storms.

Boston has been preparing for the long-term effects of climate change, including sea level rise, through its Climate Ready Boston initiative.

This includes land planning, implementing infrastructure improvements to increase resilience to flooding and enhancing coastal resilience solutions.

Global sea levels rising because of warming oceans and melting glaciers. The rates at which they rise will depend on what actions are taken to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change.