Thousands of historical and archaeological sites across the US are at risk of infection from rising sea level . In fact , harmonise to a newspaper publisher recently published inPLOS ONE , more than 13,000 immortalize archaeological sites in the southeast US could be drown as betimes as 2100 , assuming grade rebel by a meter ( 3 feet ) . This includes over 1,000 that have been number as of import ethnic properties on theNational Register of Historic Places ( NRHP ) .
These barren statistic are based on heritage datum from theDigital Index of North American Archaeology ( DINAA ) , which aggregate archeological and diachronic data across multiple sources .
" ocean - level rise in the come year will destruct vast number of archeologic website , building , cemeteries , and ethnic landscape , ” direct author David Anderson , from the University of Tennessee , say in astatement .
“ Developing informatics capabilities at regional and continental plate like DINAA is of the essence if we are to efficaciously plan for , and help mitigate , this loss of human history . "
While it ’s exceedingly difficult to predict exactly when and by how much ocean levels will get up , the current statistics are not affirmative . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) released apaperin January warning of an " uttermost " scenario whereby global sea levels could rise by as much as 2.5 metre ( 8.2 feet ) by 2100 – half a meter ( 1.6 feet ) more than their 2012 premature estimate . If we ’re favorable , they say , levels will rise by only 0.3 meters ( 1 foot ) .
Anderson and his co - workers point out that the figure of sites at risk will increase substantially with each extra meter rise . A 5 - measure ( 16 - foot ) lift , say , would threaten more than 32,000 archaeological sites and 2,400 property on the NRHP . While sea wall and other barrier could be installed to protect land from arise waters , these too could damage many of the country ’s recorded and undocumented ethnic sites .
Some of the more iconic buildings , they portend , will be relocate to higher ground . This means Washington landmark like the White House and Lincoln Memorial could be transfer to a city further inland likeEgyptian Abu Simbel templeswere during the building of the Aswan Dam in the 1960s .
And it ’s not just edifice that could be squeeze to relocate . It ’s predicted that13.1 million Americanswill miss their homes by 2100 due to rise sea tier . Those living in southeastern stateswill be among the worst affected .
But now is not the fourth dimension to resign ourselves to this fate , the researcher say .
" What we are hop to get start out is a conversation in American archaeology , and earthly concern archaeology , " co - writer Josh Wells from Indiana University toldWired .
" What are the effects of mood change on the record book as we understand it , and to what extent do we need to triage and focus our efforts on recover what we can before it ’s belong ? ”
