 Uh-oh. Many scientists claim that the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere has been rising over the past 100 years, that the great sheets of pack ice in Antarctica are melting at a much more rapid rate than previously, and finally, that the sea level has been rising with increasing swiftness over the past 40 years. If these scientists are correct, about 25% of Florida would be flooded, along with low-lying areas all over the world.