Climate change could put major Boston landmarks under water

A new report from the University of Massachusetts and other local universities paints a particularly grim picture of the effects of climate change on Boston. Seas around the city could rise as much as 10.5 feet by 2100—that’s 84 years from now—and an astounding 37 feet by 2200.

To put that in perspective, Faneuil Hall now floods at high tide at 5 feet and Copley Square at 7.5 feet, according to David Abdel at the Globe. The higher sea levels could pretty much doom these and other notable Boston sites (never mind sow cats-and-dogs-living-together chaos through the region).

The grimmer picture is the result of new research showing the greater effects on East Coast cities of Antarctica’s rapidly melting ice sheets.

What’s more, these effects could condemn Boston to a sticky, D.C.-like climate well before the century’s end. Per Abdel: "Temperatures in 2070 could exceed 90 degrees for 90 days a year, compared with an average of 11 days now."

Even the new report’s best-case scenarios are pretty bad. Should mankind arrest the level of carbon emissions causing climate change, sea levels around Boston are still projected to rise as much as 6 feet by the century’s end and almost 12 feet by 2200.

• Climate Change Could Be Even Worse for Boston Than Previously Thought [Globe]
• Here's How Vulnerable Boston Is to Rising Sea Levels [Curbed Boston]