According to researchers, the melting of the Greenland ice sheet will lead to a significant rise in sea levels even without further global warming. Global warming alone will cause a 3.3 percent loss in ice volume, according to a study published Monday. Which would result in a sea level rise of 27.4 centimeters…
The authors of the study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, don’t provide an exact timeline, but scientists say most of this development could happen by the year 2100. Previous forecasts would thus underestimate the risk for this century.
For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in a report last year assumed a sea level rise of 18 centimeters by the year 2100 in its scenario with the highest greenhouse gas emissions.
“Shocking” estimate only lower bound
The “shocking” results of the now-published study are also the lower limit, as the estimates do not yet account for future global warming, explains lead author Jason Box of the Geological Research Institute for Denmark and Greenland (GEUS). The climate around Greenland only needs to warm up further to amplify the effect.
According to the study, if the massive 2012 meltdown were to repeat every year, sea levels could rise by 78 centimeters — enough to engulf large swaths of low-lying coastal areas and leave their inhabitants homeless.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
