A new interactive map shows how parts of Washington state could be submerged underwater as sea levels rise due to climate change.Washington's extensive coastal regions, which stretch around 157 miles along the Pacific Ocean, would be particularly at risk, according to the map.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 if global greenhouse gas emissions are not mitigated.
Sea level rise is primarily caused by the melting of ice caps into the ocean due to warming temperatures. The level at which sea levels will rise will be impacted by whether global action is taken to slow climate change.'Sea level rise will create a profound shift in coastal flooding over the next 30 years by causing tide and storm surge heights to increase and reach further inland.