A study by the University of Durham, in the United Kingdom, published this Wednesday (10), revealed that, if the global warming continues to accelerate and exceed 2ºC, the melting of the East Antarctic ice sheet could raise sea levels by several meters in a few centuries.
ADVERTISING
“This mantle is by far the largest on the planet. It contains the equivalent of (a rise of) 52 meters in sea level. It’s really important not to wake this sleeping giant,” reported the study’s lead author, Professor Chris Stokes.
The 2015 Paris climate agreement, adopted during COP21, aims to limit global warming to 1,5°C compared to the pre-industrial era.
However, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the world is currently heading towards an increase in temperature of between 2,5 and 3 degrees.
ADVERTISING
In the article, published in the journal Nature, researchers studied how the ice sheet reacted to recent warm spells and examined where these changes are currently occurring.
“A key lesson from the past is that the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is highly sensitive to relatively modest warming scenarios. It is not as stable or protected as we previously thought,” commented Professor Nerilie Abram, from the National Antarctic University in Canberra.
With information from AFP
Featured photo: Reproduction/Unsplash
(🚥): may require registration and-or subscription
(🇬🇧): content in English
(*): content in other languages was translated via Google Translate
ADVERTISING
