While the glacier itself could add around 65 centimeters (roughly 2 feet) to global sea levels, some scientists worry it could destabilize much larger sections of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet\u2014potentially contributing to sea level rise approaching 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) over time.<\/p>\n
Such a rise would dramatically alter large stretches of the U.S. coastlin<\/a>e, threatening homes, infrastructure, airports and major cities across several states.<\/p>\n Glacier On The ‘Cusp of Collapse’ David Holland, a professor of mathematics and atmosphere\/ocean science at New York University, told Newsweek that the glacier is on the “cusp of collapse,” and that he was “concerned” about it. <\/p>\n “It is held back on its sides by the buttressing provided by the ice shelf in front of it, which is now about to collapse,” he explained.\u00a0The glacier is also held back by “a hump in the seafloor at its current grounding line,” he added, which he said “may be next to go, given the high rate of melt occurring there.” <\/p>\n The result of the glacier’s collapse would be vast. Holland said that “certainly, low-lying cities and states in the U.S. would experience floods,” while many other cities and countries would “undergo stress” as well. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Which American Cities Could Be Flooded?<\/p>\n National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projection maps show that a 3-meter rise in sea levels would inundate major parts of the U.S. coastline, with some of the country\u2019s most populated urban areas facing chronic flooding or partial submersion.<\/p>\n Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast<\/p>\n Florida would be among the hardest-hit states<\/a>. Large parts of the coastline could disappear beneath rising seas, while cities including Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Panama City would face severe flooding risks. Large stretches of low-lying coastal communities across the state could also become uninhabitable.<\/p>\n Large sections of the Gulf Coast would also be exposed. Cities and communities along the Texas coastline<\/a> near Galveston Bay, Freeport and Surfside Beach could see extensive inundation, while low-lying parts of Louisiana, including areas around New Orleans, would remain especially vulnerable.<\/p>\n Other coastal cities at risk include Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia; Wilmington, North Carolina; Baltimore, Maryland; and parts of New Jersey, Delaware and Mississippi.<\/p>\n New York City would face widespread flooding risks<\/a> across parts of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Lower Manhattan. Critical infrastructure, including Newark Liberty International Airport and nearby transport links, could also be affected. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey\u2014one of the venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup\u2014lies within an area vulnerable to flooding under NOAA\u2019s projections.<\/p>\n West Coast In California, areas around the San Francisco Bay, Oakland, San Mateo and parts of Southern California near San Diego and Oxnard would also face major impacts.<\/p>\n![\"03_22_antarctica_glacier_01\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/439617-03-22-antarctica-glacier-01.jpg\"\/)
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