Scientists have confirmed that unchecked greenhouse gas emissions could lead to more than a 15-inch rise in sea levels. NASA data has generated a warning regarding the melting of ice sheets. The massive increase in ice sheets melting could lead to major flooding in coastal regions globally. Point to be noted that warming conditions on Earth are already being alleged for the existing melting of ice and rising sea levels. The ISMIP6 project led by NASA has more than 60 specialists on the ocean, ice, and atmospheric research. These top specialists belong to 3 dozen different international institutions worldwide. They pointed out what happens if Greenland and Antarctica’s ice sheets melt. They confirmed the combined ice sheet melt could lead to more than 15-inches of global sea-level increase if greenhouse emissions are curtailed from their current levels by the year 2100.
It is noteworthy that melting water from those ice sheets is believed to account for around a third of the total global sea-level rise. Some previous studies suggested that sea levels will increase by around a quarter-inch by 2100, even if we make changes now. Former project leader of the study at NASA Goddard, Sophie Nowicki said, “One of the biggest uncertainties when it comes to how much sea level will rise in the future is how much the ice sheets will contribute. And how much the ice sheets contribute is really dependent on what the climate will do”. Point to be noted that there is a double impact causing ice sheets at the north and south poles to shrink. The process releases huge amounts of water. The air temperatures are increasing and melting surface-level ice.
The ocean temperatures are also increasing at the same time and causing glaciers to retreat and shrink. A study in August predicted that unexpectedly precarious ice shelves in the Antarctic could be prone to shearing away, in the process dramatically ramping up the pace at which the ice melts. The latest study examined 2 possibilities. On study concluded that melting ice sheets could add around 3.5 inches to the already rising oceans. The other study predicted global sea levels increase by approximately 1.3 inches. However, there is a complication that the changes and melt-rates aren’t consistent across all areas. Some regions around the world are more sensitive to warmer oceans and differences in currents, including the Amundsen Sea sector in West Antarctica, and Wilkes Land in East Antarctica.
