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Antarctica More Responsible for Rising Sea Levels Than Greenland

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GreenlandOver 300 experts from 14 different countries have collectively determined that Greenland’s ice is much less vulnerable to a runaway melt than previously determined. In fact, the experts predict that Antarctica might actually be more responsible for the rising sea level than Greenland.

The study was born from a desire to understand melting ice stores of Greenland and Antarctica so that risks can accurately be determined and measures and countermeasures can be undertaken. An urgent matter brought upon directly by climate change, sea levels have risen over 7 inches over the past 100 years and the pace is increasing, threatening coasts and cities from Miami to Mumbai.

Experts are using their knowledge of the Eemian period, a warm period occurring 130,000 to 115,000 years ago to understand ice sheet loss and have determined that Greenland’s ice sheet only lost 1300 feet over the course of the entire period – much less than previously thought.

Experts were shocked at the slow rate of melting due to the fact they found that Eemian temperatures in air bubbles trapped in the ice were 8 degrees Celsius higher than expected and above current surface levels. However, they do expect Eemian temperatures to be reached globally within 100 years because the Arctic is warming at the fast rate on the planet.

Scientists observed that Greenland was covered in melt water, making Eemian conditions evident.

Climate scientists have known for a while that sea levels may rise considerably, between 7 to 24 inches) this century, and the levels may rise further if Antarctica and Greenland’s rate of thawing increases.

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