Melting ice sheets could trigger drastic sea level rise, warn scientists

Melting Ice Sheets Could Reshape Coastlines, Warn Scientists (Image: Canva)

Looking out at the calm sea might feel peaceful. But scientists warn it could soon swallow coasts. The ice in Greenland and Antarctica is vanishing quickly.

A new study published in Nature says this loss might be beyond repair. Even if global warming is capped at 1.5 degrees Celsius, the melting may not stop. Researchers fear that many feet of sea level rise may follow.

Warming Could Push Ice Sheets Past Safe Limits

The study pulls from climate models, satellite images, and ancient data. This includes ice cores, seafloor mud, and even octopus DNA. Together, these show that the safe warming limit for ice sheet stability is lower than expected. The current warming of 1.2 degrees Celsius might already trigger unstoppable retreat.

If emissions keep rising, the world may reach 2.9 degrees of warming. Scientists warn this would bring much worse results. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets hold enough frozen water to raise seas by around 213 feet. That total is unlikely. But a several-foot rise is very possible.

Ice loss in these regions has quadrupled since the 1990s. About 370 billion tonnes of ice vanish every year. This makes them the biggest contributors to sea level rise today. The rate of sea rise has doubled in the last 30 years.

Millions at Risk as Oceans Begin to Swell

Glaciologist Chris Stokes from Durham University told CNN: “You don’t slow sea level rise at 1.5. Instead, it speeds up.” Around 230 million people now live under one metre above sea level. Even small losses in ice could force huge migrations.

Coasts could be reshaped beyond repair. Cities may be hit with damage they cannot manage. The report warns sea levels might rise 0.4 inches yearly by 2100. That adds up to around 40 inches in total.

Earlier studies believed the Greenland ice sheet collapses only at 3 degrees warming. Now, it might happen near 1.5 degrees. The tipping point could be closer than expected.

To prevent the worst, global warming needs to stay closer to 1 degree. That would mean strong cuts in fossil fuel use. But with oil, coal, and gas still in use, that future feels distant.

Mr Stokes said, “We see little reason to be hopeful. The best we might get is a slow, steady rise.”

Still, experts stress the 1.5-degree target must remain our goal. “It won’t stop the melting, but it could reduce damage,” Mr Stokes added.