Adam Jenkins, National Science Foundation/Via International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration
Scientists say if the West Antarctica Ice sheet were to collapse, global sea levels could rise by about 10 feet.
But a new study says that this figure could be about 3.3 feet higher.
That is because as the glaciers melt, the bedrock under the ice sheet could rise out of the ocean.
The global sea-level rise due to the melting of Antarctic ice sheets in the next 1,000 years could have been underestimated by about 30%, a new study says.
Previous studies had estimated that if the West Antarctic ice sheet were to collapse, the sea levels would increase by about 10 feet.
Antarctic Ice Sheet melting to lift sea level higher than thought
New calculations show the rise due to warming would be 30% above forecasts
Global sea-level rise associated with the possible collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has been significantly underestimated in previous studies, meaning the sea level in a warming world will be greater than anticipated, according to a new study from Harvard researchers.
The report, published in Science Advances, features new calculations for what researchers refer to as a water-expulsion mechanism. This occurs when the solid bedrock the West Antarctic Ice Sheet sits on rebounds upward as the ice melts and the total weight of the ice sheet decreases. The bedrock sits below sea level, so when it lifts it pushes water from the surrounding area into the ocean, adding to global sea-level rise.
Last Updated:
3rd May, 2021 16:45 IST
Antarctic Ice Sheet Melting Could Raise Sea Levels By 20% By End Of This Century: Study
A new study revealed that global sea levels could rise by 20 per cent by the end of this century owning to the continuous melting of West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Image: Unsplash
A new study from Harvard researchers revealed that global sea levels could rise by 20 per cent by the end of this century owning to the continuous melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The researchers used new calculations based on what they witnessed along with the ice sheets, which they’ve referred to as a “water expulsion mechanism”.
Sea Levels Could Rise Even More Than Feared As Antarctic Ice Sheet Melts forbes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from forbes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.