The rate of ice melting in Antarctica has tripled in the past five years and could cause a 25 cm rise in sea levels in the coming decades.
Ice in Antarctica is melting at a record rate and the subsequent rise in ocean water levels could have disastrous consequences for coastal cities around the world, according to two new studies in which scientists from the UK and the United States participated.
The ice is melting at such a high rate that it has not yet been recorded in the history of observations. Scientists warn that if urgent measures are not taken, the sea level will rise by 25 cm in the coming decades, and by 2070 more than a meter. This could ultimately lead to the collapse of the entire West Antarctic ice sheet, and raise the ocean level by all 3.5 meters.
Andrew Shepard of the University of Leeds and the study's lead author says:
“We have long suspected that changes in the Earth's climate are affecting the polar glaciers. Thanks to the satellites of our space agency, we can now confidently track the loss of ice cover and the global rise in water levels."
The rate of ice melting in Antarctica is amazing, Sheppard said, and that this should be a cause for concern for governments to protect coastal cities.
The first global study, published in the journal Nature, involved 84 scientists from 44 international organizations and, according to them, is the most complete account of the state of the Antarctic ice sheet to date. According to the results, until 2012, Antarctica was losing 76 billion tons per year. However, since then there has been a sharp increase, resulting in the loss of 219 billion tons of ice per year.
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A second study, also published recently in Nature, shows that the time to rescue is too short, and that Antarctica's unique ecosystem is at risk of extinction.
Scientists have estimated the likely state of Antarctica in 2070 according to two scenarios. The first option takes into account that greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere will not be reduced and will remain at the current level. The second option takes into account the scenario when emissions will increase and, moreover, the development of its natural resources will begin in Antarctica. Both options do not bode well for the planet.
“With some changes in Antarctica, we just have to accept. since we will not be able to influence them, such as the loss of some ice shelves. But there is a lot we can prevent or even reverse,”says Martin Siegert, co-author of Andrew Shepard at the Grantham Research Institute.
“To avoid the worst possible consequences, we need strong international cooperation and effective regulation. We will have to rely on the responsibility of governments, recognizing that Antarctica is inextricably linked to the rest of the Earth system and Antarctica's problems can cause problems for the entire planet.”