Picture Miami underwater or Lousiana lined with white sandy beaches.
Based on a comprehensive study published in the Nature Climate Communication journal on Monday, this future seems unavoidable. Hoping to model the atmospheric and oceanic changes from global warming that will impact Antarctica's ice shelves, scientists discovered a dooming issue.
The bottom of certain ice sheets are melting at faster rates than ever, and soon, nothing will keep the glaciers and large ice lands from falling into the ocean, inevitably increasing sea levels up to 10 feet.
The study zoomed in on the West Antarctic ice sheet in the Amundsen Sea near the Southern tip of South America, predicted to be one of the largest contributors to rising sea levels brought about by climate change. It is an issue that scientists have been worried about for over 50 years, but it’s only now that we’ve gotten a closer look at the implications this melting ice block will have on the next few hundred years.
While the study, led by , did not give exact numbers or dates, researchers agreed on one pivotal finding…
The damage is done, and there’s no stopping this colossal meltdown.
As of now, researchers do not know how continued emission will impact the rate of melting, but they do know that cutting emissions down to the international goal of 2.7 degrees fahrenheit lower than mid-19th century levels will not stop the runaway melting process. Essentially, this ice shelf is melting, no matter what.
But what does this mean?
Well, for those of us living in 2023, it is unlikely to have a direct impact. Naughten and other scientists believe it could take hundreds, if not thousands, of years for the West Antarctic ice sheet to melt entirely, which means Miami is safe for now. But Naughten did admit quote, “Coastal communities will either have to build around or be abandoned,” when the glaciers and ice lands held at bay by ice sheets like the one in the study are set loose. However, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to cut back on emissions, and understanding how doing so could change this ice sheet’s fate is yet to be determined.
For now, researchers have only observed the impact of melting ice sheets through satellites, field science, and weather station reports. Much more information will certainly be sought after in the coming years, but the key could be looking back in time…and watching what happens below the surface.
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Sources:
Comprehensive study of West Antarctic Ice Sheet finds collapse may be unavoidable
Rapid Antarctic Melting Looks Certain, Even if Emissions Goals Are Met
