On maps and global warming

On the subject of maps and their different applications, I came accross this interesting site on Clive Bates' blog, which is trying to predict, through an application using Google Maps, the impact of the rising sea levels on the continent's coastline. This is what Italy will look like when the Greenland ice shelf will melt, adding 7m to the current sea level. This is how Alex Tingle, the application designer, did it.

Now compare it to this population concentration map based on the 1972 census, which is clearly outdated, but gives an idea of the ratio between floods and displacement:


As you can see, not only Venice, but also all the Venetian inland would be flooded, including Padua, Vicenza, Rovigo and possibly the southern edges of Treviso. All the coastline of Romagna, including the ancient capital of the Western Roman Empire, Ravenna, together with Rimini and all the tourist resorts of the Adriatic coast. Incidentally, this is the area that hosts the highest concentration of Italian SMEs, and is considered Italy's economic heart. Oh, and say bye bye to the leaning tower of Pisa too...