Scientific measurements show that the solid land that forms the base of the Antarctic ice sheet is changing surprisingly quickly: the uplift of the land beneath the reduced surface ice is happening over decades, rather than over thousands of years. According to the researchers, this change will have a massive impact on future global sea level rise, putting millions of people living in coastal areas at risk.
Rising land beneath the Antarctic ice sheet will likely become a major factor in the future sea level risesuggests a new study recently published in the journal Science Advances. The research is an international effort led by scientists from Ohio State University and Colorado State University in the United States and McGill University in Canada.
A complex interaction
It seems strange to analyze how the earth moves beneath the enormous ice sheet that covers Antarctica to try to predict How much will sea levels rise in the coming decades?but that is the reality that the new research shows. The detailed study of this key interaction between land, ice and sea raises an important alarm regarding the consequences of climate change on these natural dynamics.
Specifically, the scientists discovered that the solid elevation of the Earthcaused by the increase in land mass under the ice as heavy glaciers melt, would limit Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise by up to 40% under low global warming scenarios, but would dangerously amplify it under high global warming scenarios, such as those that seem to indicate the main trends for the coming decades.
“Our findings show that while sea level rise is inevitable, swift and substantive action to reduce emissions could prevent some of the most destructive impacts of climate change, particularly for coastal communities“, he said in a Press release Colorado State University scientist Natalya Gomez, one of the lead authors of the new study.
Changes too fast
The results of the models applied by the researchers indicate that the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions could slow the melting of Antarctic ice enough to allow rising Earth to partially stabilize the Antarctic ice sheet, preventing excessive sea level rise in the near future.
According to a statement from Ohio State University, the so-called Antarctic Ice Sheet is currently experiencing solid land uplift of about 5 centimeters per year, roughly 5 times the rate experienced by North America. The changes are taking place in a matter of decadeswhen they should have been there for thousands of years.
The study shows how changes in Antarctica under different carbon emissions scenarios will affect coastlines around the world: although the change will not be uniform, specialists believe that almost 700 million people around the planet Those living in coastal regions will be most affected by rising seas, mainly due to the loss of ice in Antarctica.
Reference
The influence of realistic 3D mantle viscosity on Antarctica’s contribution to future global sea levels. Natalya Gómez et al. Science Advances (2024). DOI:
